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Post by radaget on Mar 18, 2022 16:20:44 GMT
Hi
I know this may have been discussed on the lengthy Secret Messages thread but I can't find the detail.
The synths on Secret Messages sound very unique and different to those on Time (more digital?).
Does anyone know what was used, and maybe on a track by track basis ( I just listened to the title track which got me thinking about this again)? There are a lot of arpeggios on some of the tracks which I like.
Have a good weekend everyone..
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Post by Chippa on Mar 18, 2022 17:00:49 GMT
Good question. I'm guessing they were the same ones used on Time, with some tweaks here and there. It's all still very analog sounding.
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Post by livinthing on Mar 19, 2022 8:28:53 GMT
I vaguely remember Shardender possibly mentioning something along the lines of Jeff buying some new keyboards for himself, Richard and Dave at the time of SM. So I'm guessing they're different to some of the ones on Time. Totally different sound too, but Jeff made every album sound very different.
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Post by ShardEnder on Mar 19, 2022 8:43:14 GMT
The main synth on Secret Messages is the Oberheim OB-Xa, which is an upgrade from the OB-X as used on Time before you also factor in the addition of the DMX drum machine and DSX sequencer, with further effects coming off the AMS RMX16. Apart from these, Jeff also brought back the SLM Concert Spectrum, and there was some light use of Dave Morgan's Roland VP-330 on Buildings Have Eyes and Tears In Your Life. I'm not sure if the Yamaha CS-80 made its return, but considering how extensively that featured on Discovery, Xanadu and Time, it wouldn't surprise me.
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Post by pelo on Mar 20, 2022 7:44:31 GMT
The booklet lists the following keyboards and synths: Oberheim, Moog, Yamaha, Korg, Wurlitzer, Roland, Casio SLM and ARP.
I would agree that the main synthesiser is the OB-Xa. It's also worth mentioning that ELO were one of the first and few bands to make use of the complete Oberheim system. Interestingly enough, Moog/Minimoog always featured on ELO albums to some degree, and with regard to "Time" Richard pointed out that they used the SLM Concert Spectrum a lot because of its specific sound.
When I released the first edition of my book, I found some information on a keyboard forum where someone convincingly said that ELO already used the Yamaha DX7 on SM. I am not so sure about this anymore. This synth was officially released in 1983 when most of the recording had already been done. On the other hand, Richard Tandy used to get a lot of prototypes and Jeff Lynne pointed out that the Yamaha DX7 was another keyboard that played a considerable role for ELO (Yamaha All Access). It was definitely used in the BOP era.
So, this question is for you keyboard experts here? Can you identify the specific sounds of the Yamaha DX7 on SM?
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Post by helli on Mar 22, 2022 17:12:00 GMT
I don't think that a DX-7 was used on Secret Messages, at least I don't hear anything that sounds like it. And the DX-7 didn't come out until the fall of '83, so it should have been a very early prototype. Of course, some predecessors with FM synthesis were already available (GS1/2, CE-20 etc..), but it would be news to me that ELO had ever used any of these.
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Post by ShardEnder on Mar 22, 2022 19:41:13 GMT
Richard always carried a notebook of ADSR envelopes for recreating old sounds on whatever his latest main synth of choice ended up being for each tour or batch of recording sessions, and in the Time-Secret Messages period, that was the OB-Xa. I'm fairly sure there's some DX7 on Balance Of Power, but at the very least, it turned up in a few promotional appearances from this era along with the Roland SH-101.
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Post by helli on Mar 23, 2022 0:45:02 GMT
Yes, with a Minimoog you had to write down all the sound parameters, no other chance :-) This still applies to the clones and most reissues today.
and of course - in 1986 Richard and Jeff certainly used the DX7 (which musician didn't use one at the time ? :-)) - definitely for bass sounds. That was the signature sound of the second half of the 80s. I haven't actually listened to BOP from that point of view, but I'll see if I can spot some FM sounds.
On the whole I don't think either Jeff or Richard were particularly tech nerds when it came to synth technology - they always used what was available and what they thought was best, and at their peak it was the flagships of technology, such as the CS-80 etc.. which were unaffordable for others. Later appearances have seen Richard on stage with more budget synths (Alpha Juno, Micro-Korg, Juno DS61). I like that about him - he's probably very pragmatic.
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