Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

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MCL
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:13 pm
Location: Pittsburgh/Detroit

Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

Post by MCL » Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:31 pm

Hello:
First, thanks in advance for any responses.

I'm trying to recreate as best I can the "chattering" kind of train type sound (don't know how else to describe it) Brian Eno got on David Bowie's Heroes. I know they used an EMS Synthi AKS and I know there's a Synthi AKS pack for Live and also an Arturia Synthi V but I have not purchased either of those yet.

I'm wondering if anyone that has the Live pack has tried to reproduce that sound and if they were successful?

If not, I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions how to get that sound using a different Live device or other software synth? I've got tons of software synths but I'm hesitant to purchase another one right now if I don't need to.

chrk
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Re: Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

Post by chrk » Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:25 am

Have you read CLASSIC TRACKS: David Bowie 'Heroes'? Especialy the third paragraph of "Cracking the Combination". Viscont very much describes the basic recipe, even describing the effect as "chattering".

Soniccouture's Synthi AKS pack on the other hand is basically a sampled, not a modelled instrument, so I'd doubt you get so much control.

Pitch Black
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Re: Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

Post by Pitch Black » Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:46 am

Just checking that you've seen this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03g18sx
MBP M1Max | MacOS 12.7.2 | Live 11.3.20 | Babyface Pro FS | Push 3 (tethered) | a whole other bunch of controllers
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TLW
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Re: Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

Post by TLW » Sat Sep 28, 2019 5:45 pm

If you have an iPad, iVCS3 is about the best Synthi emulation I’ve heard, and synths like that are much better controlled via a touch interface that lets you operate multiple controls at the same time. I consider the Arturia Synthi, like pretty much all Arturia’s synths, has a sort of “Arturia” audio quality to it.

As for plugins XILS 3 and 4 are good.

The Synthi’s not an easy synth to use though. Even getting a simple melody out of it can be hard work.
Live 10 Suite, 2020 27" iMac, 3.6 GHz i9, MacOS Catalina, RME UFX, assorted synths, guitars and stuff.

tone61
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:09 am

Re: Bowie Heroes EMS Synthi AKS Sound

Post by tone61 » Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:41 pm

Arturia has also their version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeONFU3dmvw

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