If you could have any Genesis sound...

[tronholic]

Hi,

Mellotron solo sound from the latter part of 'Seven Stones'.
(Mic'ed up Mellotron MkII on 3Violins setting and you can hear key click as well.)
I had to.

This would be great:

Delicate RMI Electra Piano from 'Carpet Crawlers'(chromatic samples).

Thank you and good luck to the project!

[hydemusic]

Hi,

Delicate RIM Electra Piano from 'Carpet Crawlers'(chromatic samples).

Yes you're right ..that sound is so spell binding plus it just fits so well with the whole aura of the song. I used it for a soundtrack on a video my wife and I did in the 80's. "Carpet Crawlers" and " The Cinema Show" are 2 of my favorite Genesis songs.. And while we're on the topic of sounds from then, the band Nektar, not quite as famous as Genesis but still valid. I remember they moved by me (New Jersey) near the studio I worked.

Of course we all know it's the song not the sound, but never the less. there's something about these classic sounds I love that just reach out and grab you and thankfully Squids does as well! I'm not anti-tech by any means but the richness and warmth of an antiquated technology IMHO is ions ahead of the new technology od sounds in terms of passion and feeling...it's just a vibe that 1's and 0's can't sample or catch but we're getting close to and since I can't have all those keyboards like I can't have my 20 Les Pauls and 30 Strats and 15 Teles (I'm only allowed to have 3 of each)it's the next best thing.... Haven't even got on the subject of amplification which many of these sounds totally sound like the real McCoy if put them through either a real amp or Amplitide....ooh la la la

[magog]

I find it hard to analyze the sounds in Genesis music. The music is so emotional for me, for one. And so much of the sound is in the songwriting and arrangement, and also in how the instrument is played (voicing, etc. as duncanparsons wrote above).

If there was one Genesis sound, it would have to be a complete emulation of the ARP ProSoloist. The samples I have are nice, but in Tony's hands it sounds like such an expressive instrument with that aftertouch feature and all.

Beyond that, I can get by with what I already have: sampletank mellotron, a twelve-string, an organ and a taurus pedal simulation. What would be great would be knowing how to treat these better. Genesis did a lot with their effects, and I don't think I really know how to use effects...um...effectively.

For instance, that choir at the end of Silent Sorrow is just a mellotron choir, but how do they make it sound so good?

I'd be great for someone to pick apart a Genesis album and write up an analysis of the sounds and how they were created. I'd buy that.

Anyway, here's a list of sounds that I don't think I could recreate on my own:

• Lamb lies down on broadway: Ampeg/Amplitube bass patch for bass
• Battle of Epping forest: Ampeg/Amplitube bass patch for bass
• return of the giant hogweed: ampltube guitar patch for Steve's guitar at the
  beginning and the violin-like guitar at 5:36
• firth of fifth: guitar solo patch (natch).
• suppers ready: keyboard sound at 13:45 after willow farm - treated mellotron?
• dancing with the moonlit knight - the guitar or bass riff at: 2:25
• dancing with the moonlit knight - guitar patch for the lawnmower sound at: 2:54
• dancing with the moonlit knight - arpeggios in coda: dulcimer? guitar?
• I know what I like: organ sound in chorus
• Fly on a windshield: swirly mellotron at beginning
• Grand Parade: organ
• Abacab: pad
• Mama: pad in second half

Michael

[Blank_Frank]

Synth sounds on:
>In that Quiet Earth/ Unquiet Slumber for the sleepers

What he said. I'm easily pleased.

Although if I was pushed...some of the synth sounds on Mr. Banks' "A Curious Feeling", particularly the solos at the end of "You", would be splendid. But that's just being picky.

[Highvoltage]

Drum sounds from "Harold the barrel"

[duncanparsons]

...The only problem in recreating those tones are people like me. For instance, with the recent remixes of the Genesis catalog, some of the tones got changed - I'm sure because some of the original equipment/mixing technique got lost in the sands of time(!).

Oh, tell me about it... First time I heard the 'definitive edition remaster' of Selling England, I couldn't believe it! Suddenly there was all this reverb! (most noticeable with the opening vocal section of the album). Granted, it could be seen as tasteful and up to date - no! no! no! no! no!

Part of the reason many prog albums from that period 'work' is that they understood effects, and reverb was an effect to be added or declined based on what was appropriate for a passage or instrument. Since about 1976 or so, when mixing first thing that's done is set up a bus with a reverb, so now everything has that sitting behind it... aaargh! It's not big and it's not clever. Eddy Offord had asked Chris Squire a number of times if he could do 'remasters' of CTTE and Fragile, but Chris politely declined, since he knew what would be done. If you listen to the Yes remasters, they are great, and have been sympathetic to the original masters, a proper mastering job where attention is paid to what is actually there, rather than adding stuff that just shouldn't be.

Another good remastering job, arguably, is some work that Alan Parsons did on some of the 'Project' albums a while back. I listened to the newer editions, and to me they sounded just as good as I remembered them; but then on returning to the originals found the sound somewhat more dull [no digs about APP here!!!]. Albums like EVE, Turn of a Friendly Card, Pyramid, etc, came out at a time when LPs in the UK didn't always have much presence, and the bass was favoured somewhat. I realise that this is something of a generalisation, since I'm sure we could all point to albums that defy that trend, but if we're honest with ourselves could easily find many that confirm it. Anyway, listen to the originals (either on LP or first edition releases on CD) and compare them to recent CD outings, and Alan has been sympathetic to the source material, but also done much to bring out qualities that you remember. My father always said that for a band to make a comeback, they have to be twice as good as how they were in the first place, because your emotions always distort and 'improve' the memories. This is what I experienced with APP, that the recent remasters sound how I remembered them to be, until I listened to what they actually were!

I realise this is a bit of a digression, Dave and all, but it is Genesis related, in as much as whoever did the Definitive Edition Remasters should never be allowed in a studio again!! I haven't heard recent the 5.1 versions, and I'm slightly worried, but I'm sure I'll get to hear them in good time...

DSP

[EuropeanOnUranus]

What can I use to match that prominent 60 cycle hum that's all over my pressing of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway?

[EuropeanOnUranus]

Oh and more seriously, the heavily distorted clav in The Musical Box.



For the longest time I always assumed that was a guitar.

[Squids]

That's a distorted Pianet he used on Musical Box. I don't think Tony ever used a clav. But those Pianet sounds from Nursery are good.


By the way, on the subject of Genesis, if you didn't know your friendly neighborhood Squid on keys and some production/composition elements with Simon and Phil Collins dueling drums. Check it out: www.sonicreality.com/squidscorner/BigBangTeaser.mp3

That's a quickly edited together taste of the song The Big Bang from Simon's album "U-Catastrophe" which also features Steve Hackett. However, the rest of the album is only Genesisy or PC-like in certain areas... it's more modern rock and electronica than PC/Genesis would do. But, a few hints here and there with the odd Mellotron making an appearance (actually I used SampleTron).

Anyway, out of interested I thought I'd post it in here. This, however, has nothing to do with why I asked the question of the thread in the first place.

[BroderYon]

How about the weird keyboards in "Whodunnit?" (I'm serious!)

Hi, jsp1979. The weird sounds in this song were made with a Prophet V

Greetings from Tenerife

[eDrummist]

Lots of people already mentioned Tony Bank's keyboard sounds that I like, so I'll suggest some drum sounds. Now, my hard drive with my mp3s just died and all my CDs are packed in boxes, so I'm doing this from memory. I'd pick Phil's drums on:

- Trick of the Tale
- Abacab
- No Son of Mine
- Put Another Record On
- You Might Recall (yes, many folks might not be impressed, but it sits nicely in a mix where you don't want drums to be too aggressive)

I'm sure there are tons of songs I am missing, but those are some of my favorite Phil Collins drum mixes. They're not even necessarily my favorite songs, just songs with drum sounds/mixes I like. Actually, I can't remember too many of the songs, but there were some good drum sounds on "Calling All Stations" (yes, even though my favorite albums were Abacab and before, I still kept buying; I think Nick D'Virgilio and Chester Thompson played on CAS). Being a drummer, the dilemna of using similar sounds/mixes to Phil is that his drum sounds are so identfiable, many people who would hear the sounds, regardless how original drumming was, and say something like, "That sounds like Phil Collins." So if I were to use a kit that sounded too much like Phils, I might avoid hitting the toms!

- eDrummist

[jkleban]

Squids,

Even though I purchased OWD (and I love them) I still am in search of PCs drum sound from The Lamb... not necessarily the drumset but the kit and the "ROOM" sounds used on the Lamb (in OWD format of course, with all the control one could ever need).

IMHO, as far as drumming goes, The Lamb was Phil's swan song and was mixed as such on this album which I totally admire after all these years.

So, I hope you are on the other side of the POND and can sample this drum kit (along with all the percussion used) that PC used (and hopefully you can get him to tune them and perform for the samples).

This shouldn't be too hard since PC has been playing with toy trains in the basement for the last 6 months... shouldn't take too much convincing to take a short break from his train set.

Thanks,
Jim

[KindredSpirit]

Falling notes of organ? on Stagnation 1.40, Twangy sound behind voices on The Knife 4.58 and on Unquiet slumbers for the sleepers 1.28. Oboe and that lovely string sound on Blood on the rooftops 1.24. All the 6 and 12 string guitars on these albums!!

[Squids]

Falling notes of organ? on Stagnation 1.40

Oh yeah, that's the old L102 when you turn it off for a sec the notes die out. Fun effect. You can sort of simulate it though but there's a certain sound to it winding down. It's possible.

[EuropeanOnUranus]

That's a distorted Pianet he used on Musical Box. I don't think Tony ever used a clav. But those Pianet sounds from Nursery are good.

Ah thanks! (Similar profiles, and with all that overdrive was hard to tell.)

What's the opening of Carpet Crawlers played on? Is there any effect or doubletracking or does TB have like 5 hands?

By the way, Korg CX-3 organs can do the tone wheel slowing mentioned above. ("WheelBrk" parameter lets you assign a pedal to it.)