Synth Lead Guitar Sounds

[Al Coda]

Jan's solo comes in at ~2:20

Um, Jan's synth solo (trades, actually) come in at 4:13, 4:40, etc. You can hear the MXR flanger that he used frequently.

 

On that recording, already the lead sound coming in @about 30 sec. is Jan Hammer and not Al.

That sound again appears @about 7:00min ...

The solo sound in between is a different one and to me, the one used in the beginning and ending of the tune sounds more guitar like than the solo patch.

Both sounds use the vintage grey stompbox MXR Flanger.

 

I always liked Jan's sounds from that era. I prefer a synth sound played with guitar-like expressions far more than any sampled guitar sounds.

 

+ 1000 !

 

A.C.

[BuckW]

Yeah, I'm not really trying to emulate a guitar so much as just trying to get a killer lead sound. It just so happened that the lead guitar patch in the Montage was so much more expressive than anything my synths were doing for me. I'm understanding now, as axe2grind mentioned above, it probably had to do with velocity activated harmonics, as well as the amp/cabinet sim for the way the crunch and feedback fed into the sound. I understand how important some of the other guitar techniques, bends etc are also to expressiveness..but the Montage patch had so much happening just all in the fingers... really fun. So that's what I'm after, whatever it takes, whether guitar emulation software or just synth through amp sim. I've had pretty good results running Diva through the VKFX amp and preamp etc so looking forward to trying some of the guitar stuff.

 

I think every synth has (at least) one sound it does better than any other. Like the Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame but for synths.

[Al Coda]

... but in the 1980s he did include the DX7 and a Scholz Rockman for overdrive in much of his lead work.

 

He was a tech-geek and experimented w/ everything available to find his sound.

That´s what we should do today too.

Experiment and find the sound for your best expression.

 

Eventually, Jan moved on to a guitar sample set.

 

Never for the distorted/overdriven lead stuff.

 

But I imagine he used some sample sets for acoustic guitars, maybe already from the Fairlight but for sure from the Kurzweil 1000 series expanders he started using when they appeared late 80s.

 

I´ve also seen a Kurzweil K-series keyboard in his studio, but I think that was in the 90s.

I imagine he used Kurzweil and AKAI samples in the Kurz.

 

There was also a DX7mkII and Oberheim Xpander later,- but his signature lead sounds we know from the 70s and early 80s recordings were all Minimoog D thru Pignose (and other amps) and Oberheim 6-voice (6 SEMs) controlled by,- 1.) "Probe",- see (Roger) Powell Probe,- and 2.) Lync LM4 JH edition controllers, the synths w/ MOOG 1120 CV pedals connected (for sync sweep) and running thru vintage MXR stompbox flangers and a Marshall 200W stack w/ 2x 412 cabs.

At least 1 of Jan´s Minimoog Ds was modded w/ soft- and hardsync !

 

I´ve seen that live twice w/ Colin Hodgkinson on the bass and the next time it was Jack Bruce.

 

When he used the DX7/ DX7mkII and Tom Scholz Rockman, he added a Yamaha KX-5 w/ the ribbon replaced by a wheel.

 

In the 80s he also endorsed SUNN guitar tube amps !

 

Then more and more he used computers,- Opcode Vision, Studio Vision and Protools TDM.

In a interview he mentioned he get´s his signature sounds out of almost every synth and he now loves the Access Virus TDM plugin and Line6 FX.

 

In the end his rig shrinked down to a KORG Triton Extreme 88,- and when he performs, it´s still Jan w/ his sounds, phrasing and pitchbend skills !

 

A.C.

[Piktor]

Al Coda, I am impressed. Your Jan Hammer geekiness exceeds mine.

 

However, regarding Jan's use of guitar samples for lead sounds, my statement was based on my recollection of an interview that JH gave to keyboard magazine years ago. (My wife wonders why I can remember a specific interview given 25 years ago, but cannot remember her work phone number. Go figure.) I went down into my Keyboard magazine archives to find this:

 

Jan Hammer's April, 1993 Keyboard Magazine interview with Greg Rule -

 

As can be expected, Beyond the Mind's Eye is replete with Jan's trademark synth solos. "In the old days," he recalls, "I soloed on the Minimoog, putting it through amps, a Rockman, and all the different devices. And what I have basically settled on now, which gives me the most satisfaction, is truly a great multi-sampled guitar done on a Fairlight, between 13 and 20 samples." Onto this he'll layer feedback and other sounds derived from the Korg 01/W. " The sound never stays static. There's always some motion - either in time or with pressure. And also the sound is always going through an old MXR vintage 1976 flange. It makes the sound move much like a string would."

 

Aside from JH's Beyond the Mind's Eye album, you can hear a similar lead sound on Jan's Drive album. The synth solo starts at about 1:09. This isn't an overly saturated tone and yes, this ain't jazz rock OR rock and roll.

 

[video:youtube]

 

As you suggested, as long as they have the right concept and technique, a player could achieve an expressive guitar-like sound in a number of ways. Within reason, the particular synth that one uses is not the most important factor.

[ksoper]

There was also a DX7mkII and Oberheim Xpander later,- but his signature lead sounds we know from the 70s and early 80s recordings were all Minimoog D thru Pignose (and other amps) and Oberheim 6-voice (6 SEMs) controlled by,- 1.) "Probe",- see (Roger) Powell Probe,- and 2.) Lync LM4 JH edition controller

A.C.

 

The other controller he used was a bare bones Minimoog keyboard in a white cabinet with the pitch and mod wheels in an attached box on an axle. The keyboard was flush against him and the wheel box went wherever his hand felt comfortable at the time.

 

Funny story: JH was in Philadelphia in the early 80s touring on "Black Sheep" at a small nightclub. Two shows. Some friends and I were in line as they finished the first show. We could see through the windows that JH was playing the Powell Probe. I was pretty excited about seeing him use that controller live. When they turned the room and we were allowed to take our seats, we saw stage hands take away the Probe and replace it with the barebones controller. The comedian Rich Hall was the warm up. Sniglets was a thing. He opened his set with, "First off, are there any questions?" I said, "What happened to the Powell Probe?" He goes, "What? The what?" I said, "The Powell Probe." Nothing. He stammered for a moment and moved quickly into his prepared routine.

 

Great show from JH with Colin Hodgkinson. Here's Jan with a modified KX5 telling us that he can get his sound on anything..."And then it's down to what you play."

 

[video:youtube]

[Axe2Grind]

Lol, looks like this thread has turned into a Jan Hammer fan thread. He's my number one keyboard influence but knowledge of Jan's gear over the years is impressive here. I purchased the Korg Wavestation when it first came out as he was advertising it and couldn't quite afford the Roland JD800 at the time which had a magical lead sound (later to become very well used by Kevin Moore of Dream Theater and tweaked by a lot of players).

 

Being from the UK, back in the 80s we had a TV programme called Rock School and one episode featured Jan Hammer (which I taped and wore out the VHS tape) But he went through his lead sound and played Star Cycle from the album he did with Jeff Beck. Those were the days

 

Lucky the Rock School episode with Jan Hammer is on youtube:

 

 

Never tired of watching this!

[BuckW]

Sniglets! I recall making one up: smumbling:

 

When you try to talk with a cigarrette in your mouth.

[Al Coda]

Al Coda, I am impressed. Your Jan Hammer geekiness exceeds mine.

 

Thx! He already got me w/ John McLaughlin´s "Birds of Fire" and his "The 1st Seven Days" album.

 

I was 17 when "Birds of Fire" was released and had only a VOX organ and I was 20 years old when "The 1st Seven Days" came out while I already had my 1971 Fender Rhodes mk I ...

Damn !

I liked his Rhodes sound so much,- and there was that synth and the pitchbend technique I never heard before that way.

He´s also the man leading me to the ring modulator (even he used a Bode Frequency Shifter which is somewhat different),- and on "The 1st Seven Days", for the 1st time I became aware of the Oberheim (4-Voice) horn sounds which IMO are outstanding ´til today.

 

Means,- he was a BIG motivation.

For me, it needed 2 or 3 more years until I decided for buying a Minimoog D after I had tried other synth solutions.

 

However, regarding Jan's use of guitar samples for lead sounds, my statement was based on my recollection of an interview that JH gave to keyboard magazine years ago. (My wife wonders why I can remember a specific interview given 25 years ago, but cannot remember her work phone number. Go figure.) I went down into my Keyboard magazine archives to find this:

 

Jan Hammer's April, 1993 Keyboard Magazine interview with Greg Rule -

 

Oh man,- I´m too old !

 

I missed that interview ...

In fact, I lost interest on Jan´s work after he did the "Miami Vice" stuff.

For sure it´s excellent work and he took that chance not only to survive.

But IMO, he lost some of his originality w/ the success.

 

 

... And what I have basically settled on now, which gives me the most satisfaction, is truly a great multi-sampled guitar done on a Fairlight, between 13 and 20 samples." Onto this he'll layer feedback and other sounds derived from the Korg 01/W. " The sound never stays static. There's always some motion - either in time or with pressure. And also the sound is always going through an old MXR vintage 1976 flange. It makes the sound move much like a string would."

 

Thx,- interesting ... (more below)

 

Aside from JH's Beyond the Mind's Eye album, you can hear a similar lead sound on Jan's Drive album. The synth solo starts at about 1:09. This isn't an overly saturated tone and yes, this ain't jazz rock OR rock and roll.

 

[video ...

 

Well,- I really find that disappointing in several ways:

 

1.)

He tries to mimik a real guitar using the samples.

 

2.)

In the past, he said he won´t and hates people say he does,- just because he uses pitchbend, stomp boxes and guitar amplification.

 

3.)

I haven´t listen to that record before ...

Ouch ... soundwise it reminds me on Kenny G. or such ...

 

As you suggested, as long as they have the right concept and technique, a player could achieve an expressive guitar-like sound in a number of ways. Within reason, the particular synth that one uses is not the most important factor.

 

That´s true, but I´d prefer saying "expressive ... sound".

IMO it doesn´t have to be a "guitar"-sound to be expressive.

I myself, I like to use pitch bending a lot as also experimentation w/ overdrive, distortion and all kind of FX ...

I did that (exept pitchbending) already w/ the VOX organ and my 1st Fender Rhodes,- but I never wanted replacing a guitar.

 

I tried samples and guitar VSTs as well,- but I lost interest quick because all the computer crap eats up my lifetime and holds me back from playing.

When it comes to the "advanced" plugins, it´s all about articulations and key-switching.

Why should I waste my time w/ that instead calling a guitar player ?

They are often cheap and play the real deal ...

 

Otherwise I use my arsenal of gear to create some hopefully expressive keyboard sounds.

 

A.C.

 

[Al Coda]

The other controller he used was a bare bones Minimoog keyboard in a white cabinet with the pitch and mod wheels in an attached box on an axle. The keyboard was flush against him and the wheel box went wherever his hand felt comfortable at the time.

 

Ha, I know that ...

In fact he had seen Roger Powell using the "Powell Probe" and that was the trigger experimenting w/ a "strap-on" controller.

The forerunner was definitely, the today rare, Minimoog D w/ detached keyboard incl. LH controller.

The stuff Gary Wright and Steve Pocaro used.

But that was somewhat uncomfortable when you used the pitchbend-wheel w/ the thumb,- allowing faster (and more precise) movements.

So he needed this "wheel-box".

Later he found out the right angle/ position (and some other nit-pick details) important for his performances w/ such a controller,- and the result was the Lync LM-4 JH Edition..

 

Great show from JH with Colin Hodgkinson.

 

When I saw this, it was excellent !

Unfortunately I forgot who the drummer was.

Do you remember ?

 

When I saw him w/ Jack Bruce,- it was Carsten Bohn (founder of "Frumpy").

 

Here's Jan with a modified KX5 telling us that he can get his sound on anything..."And then it's down to what you play."

 

Well, for a guitar type sound, I find the Yammi KX-5´s ribbon pitchbend controller much better that a wheel.

On the Yammi ribbon,- you can tap w/o any pre-configuration,- which is impossible w/ a wheel.

I´m fine w/ both, wheels and ribbons !

I hate joysticks though ...

 

A.C.

 

[Al Coda]

Those were the days

 

And they were good!

When I think about how the music biz worked at that time and what the income was ... OMG !

 

A.C.

[Marzzz]

I found a really good way to get guitar sounds is to actually play guitar.

[SeaGtGruff]

I think Yamaha does use velocity switching to control the filter as well as the sample used. If you look in the Owner's Manual for the old PSR-280 keyboard they very briefly describe something they call "Dynamic Filtering." Yamaha has had many years to work on their "dynamic" voices and get them just right, which is why the voice you were playing with on the Montage sounds so good.

 

[The Real MC]

I found a really good way to get guitar sounds is to actually play guitar.

 

Same here. I'm a good rhythm player and I know guitar amps. For leads, I call my guitar playing buddies.

[DaveMcM]

Years ago at a NAMM show Moog hired Tom Coster as a product demonstrator. He used a Moog Liberation running into a delay pedal then into a distortion pedal, IIRC they were both Electro-Harmonix pedals. The purpose in the delay, which was set for a single echo at a very short delay time, was to introduce a little hold-over when going from note to note so the distortion pedal had something to work with. The Liberation was generating basically a square wave from both oscillators with a simple gate envelope. You could do unison bends by grabbing the tuning knob of Osc 2 and lowering the pitch slightly before playing a key and then bring it back in tune. (He was emulating a signature Santana trick, whom he was playing with at the time). Feedback was re-created via aftertouch control of the filter as I remember. His amp rig was a Sound City 50 watt head and 4X12 SMF (super mother !@#$) cabinet. I already owned a Liberation, but when I got home I gathered the rest of what he was using. Pissed several guitarist off since I was a better soloist than them.

 

Go to 19:20 minutes

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZMx85AIfs

[The Real MC]

Years ago at a NAMM show Moog hired Tom Coster as a product demonstrator. He used a Moog Liberation running into a delay pedal then into a distortion pedal, IIRC they were both Electro-Harmonix pedals. The purpose in the delay, which was set for a single echo at a very short delay time, was to introduce a little hold-over when going from note to note so the distortion pedal had something to work with. The Liberation was generating basically a square wave from both oscillators with a simple gate envelope. You could do unison bends by grabbing the tuning knob of Osc 2 and lowering the pitch slightly before playing a key and then bring it back in tune. (He was emulating a signature Santana trick, whom he was playing with at the time). Feedback was re-created via aftertouch control of the filter as I remember. His amp rig was a Sound City 50 watt head and 4X12 SMF (super mother !@#$) cabinet. I already owned a Liberation, but when I got home I gathered the rest of what he was using. Pissed several guitarist off since I was a better soloist than them.

 

Go to 19:20 minutes

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZMx85AIfs

 

I used to own a Liberation and it was pretty good for synth lead guitar stuff. Good expression tools with the AT and controls on the handle. I used to simulate feedback using AT to bend the hard sync'd VCO2.

[SeaGtGruff]

This sounds pretty good to me:

 

 

Taken from the audio demos here:

 

http://www.airmusictech.com/product/ignite

[KenElevenShadows]

jan hammer fromm 1977-82

Yep. I respected his skill and effort but never had a desire to go down that path.

 

Music fans thank you greatly for this.

[KenElevenShadows]

I found a really good way to get guitar sounds is to actually play guitar.

 

Thank you.

[hardware]

Or just use Zrbra2 HZ.

On the Oscillators page you can tone down volume on any range 0-128 across the keys.

Use the 4 Oscillators followed by Shapers.

Use a Diva or Rez Bandwidth Filter for wah-wash or tone.

You get pick harmonics, low end grunge with a tight compresser.

 

Not happy? Mix it with Orange Tree or Prominys V-Metal.

As a guitarist who just plays keys this is lots of fun.

Besides knowledge of Guotar helps so backing comps can let the guitarist have fun concentrating on solos.

 

If Acoustic Guitars are needed Orange Tree, Ilya Eminov Nylon, lots to pick from.

One that I find really useful is 8DIO and PTeq Clavinets muted and mixed.

Added dynamics is expression attached to mutes.

 

No need to drag extra guitars around when keyboardists can easily cover this few notes at a time instrument.

[tfort]

Do you have an iPad? The GeoShred app uses MoForte's modelled guitar, and the interface to easily recreate bends and slides:

http://www.moforte.com

 

Another plus about GeoShred is that it's a really good MPE MIDI implementation as a controller, probably the best bang for your buck to get your feet wet with MPE.

 

I know Jordan Rudess is everywhere, but you can see him demoing the app at any of the last few NAMMS or his site or YouTube as well.

[poserp]

As far as one's choice of sound goes, there are many choices available and people can look for whatever sound makes them happy and effective. I do think that it is important to personalize your sound. If the goal is to express yourself like a guitar player, then it is probably more important to listen to some master guitar players (yes, I said that) to learn how they express themselves - e.g. where to bend pitch, how wide the pitch bends are, vibrato speed, muting, etc. I can't imagine any of them pulling an instrument out of a box, hitting patch #67 Snakefinger, bending a perfectly in tune wholetone up, a perfectly in tune octave divebomb down and thinking that they are done.

... Of course, there are some amazing players who do none of that.

 

Yes, indeed. I am primarily a guitar player, and then a synth programming geek, and somewhere way back in the "skills" list is actual keyboard playing. So, my list of guitarists worth listening to in order to get a sense of different types of playing is rather long. I was going to do some youtube links, but then realized I'd have to do 15 or 20 to even begin to do the subject justice. Modern players seem to have taken the Satch/Vai/Malmsteem school to heart, but that's one small offshoot of a very large tree.

 

Some of my faves, in no particular order: Vito Bratta (White Lion), Tal Farlow, Joe Cinderella (highly underrated jazz guitarist), Eric Johnson, George Lynch, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Leo Nocentelli (early Meters is scripture w.r.t. funk guitar), and the aforementioned Vai and Satriani. And Eddie Van Halen.

 

I can't leave this off without a few goodies:

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

(Joe Cinderella with Gil Melle)

 

[video:youtube]

 

And, a secret (not really) -- guitarists have been forever imitating other instrumentalists. Horn players, keyboard players, violinists, etc.

 

Consider that a guitar string is a hand-operated oscillator and you have the raw materials to sound like all sorts of things and play it in all sorts of ways, from blowing the strings to biting the strings to whacking them with your thumb, plucking with a pick or using fingertips or fingernails or a violin bow. Where you pluck the string acts as a sort of filter, accentuating the harmonic at the spot where you're picking (or blowing, or biting, or licking, or whatever) -- an experienced player will use that to his/her advantage. So, as a guitar person and a synth geek I'd say you want a.) to play the notes however you're comfortable playing them (i.e. piano keys, or a Linnstrument if you have one, or a ribbon, or some other thing), but always (or mostly always) play single-handed, b.) use the other hand to control the harmonics in the sound you're playing somehow, and ideally you'd use that hand to also control (most of) they dynamics and articulation (if possible), and c.) use some sound that can sustain for a long period of time, but not necessarily forever (60 seconds is a common benchmark for "ideal" guitar sustain in terms of just plucking the string and letting it ring), and something that has enough harmonics for the articulation hand controlling the emphasized harmonic to have an audible effect. If you can somehow track that manipulation to the harmonic series, then it will probably sound more "authentic".

 

So, perhaps, a sawtooth wave + distortion of some kind (or a PW wave fairly close to square, or even better a wave that crossfades between saw and square via velocity, higher velocity = more square, or a PW with width at about 25% to start and moving towards 45% or so tracked to velocity) would work as the "base" sound. Having a hand on a ribbon controller set to modify the cutoff of a bandpass filter (gently applied) would be good. Also good, a lowpass filter that's wide-open at the attack and decays (along with amplitude) in abt 60 seconds, coming down 25% or so in the first few milliseconds after striking a key, maybe match the resonant frequency with the aforementioned bandpass (or you can just use the lowpass filter) with maybe 6db or so of resonance. I'd go 2-pole rather than 4-pole, but that's a taste thing. If your keybed sports any kind of aftertouch, assign that to increase the volume as you lean into the keys, maybe even have that prevent the amp/filter envelopes from fully closing with a fair amount of pressure on a key (or just opening them back up after a certain pressure level). You could also put pitch bend on pressure (bend up), so when you add vibrato to a note you also increase its sustain time and can change the tone too (since it's also linked to filter cutoff).

 

A patch like above will embody many of the "guitar" elements, and do so IMO with more fidelity to the concept than most hardware/software guitar "emulations" do. It should also sound "nice" going into an amp sim. I ought to actually program that and see how it behaves, maybe it's all wrong...

 

Edit: Pitch wheel = whammy bar (so you can do vibrato with one hand and dives with the other), sustain pedal = palm mute in reverse, and mod wheel = pickup selector. And, Jan Hammer is IMO an honorary guitarist (anyone who can hang with Beck as well as he did is in the club IMO).

[BuckW]

Hammer also hung with John McLaughlin, the father of the jazz fusion genre in my opinion.

[LilyM]

ok, I appreciate very much many of the responses here and they were very helpful.. and don't really mind it being partly hijacked into Jan Hammer tribute. But for those who felt the need to proselytize about playing guitar or hiring a guitarist if you want a guitar sound... really??? As I stated a couple of times in the thread, I am not trying to imitate a guitar...or replace a guitarist. I am a keyboardist who plays live in a band and am just looking for some killer lead sounds. It just so happened to be that the sound that really caught my attention and imagination was a lead guitar patch in a Montage. And it wasn't the fact that it sounded like a guitar that intrigued me, it was that there was an incredible amount of motion and dynamics in the sound. I don't know how best to describe it, but there was just a lot of control over the sound, just from the fingers, with the sound blossoming with velocity...and feedback creeping in, and so on. On the other hand, most of my synth sounds are more static and one dimensional.

 

I am embarrassed to say it was a surprise to learn that, just like a guitar, all that color and power comes from the amp/cabinet, FX etc. Of course that makes sense with the electric guitar... you don't get too much till you plug it in to all that stuff. I guess I thought all that could just be "synthesized" in the original synth sound. So I am still very interested to learn all I can about how best to process these basic lead sounds I have, particularly this idea of velocity switching...dynamic filtering.. how to get that feedback gently creeping in and so on. zI;m kind of a novice with synth programming but going to try to do my best with poserp's programming advice above. It definitely seems like important knowledge for me to get under my fingers...but also hoping there are amp cabinet sims, FX vsts etc that can help me get there as well. I know a few of these have already been recommended and debated.

[David Emm]

Lily, I'm a bit late to the debate, but give Strum a listen:

 

https://www.applied-acoustics.com/strum-gs-2/

 

Its a very capable physical modeling instrument that's easy to use. It just happens to kick ass as well. It has great effects that feel extremely well-designed for guitar. It nails everything I need as a synthesist who simply wants to fake it honorably in my single-line playing. The company is still having a good sale, too. Give it a listen so you at least know its there. When I double-layer it or layer a sound with a compatible synth patch, it really shines.

 

 

[Al Coda]

... Tom Coster ... used a Moog Liberation running into a delay pedal then into a distortion pedal, IIRC they were both Electro-Harmonix pedals. The purpose in the delay, which was set for a single echo at a very short delay time, was to introduce a little hold-over when going from note to note so the distortion pedal had something to work with. The Liberation was generating basically a square wave from both oscillators with a simple gate envelope. You could do unison bends by grabbing the tuning knob of Osc 2 and lowering the pitch slightly before playing a key and then bring it back in tune. (He was emulating a signature Santana trick, whom he was playing with at the time). Feedback was re-created via aftertouch control of the filter as I remember. His amp rig was a Sound City 50 watt head and 4X12 SMF (super mother !@#$) cabinet.

 

Go to 19:20 minutes

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZMx85AIfs

 

Excellent observation and explanation,- and thx for sharing that vid !

Great record !

Sometimes I hate I sold my Sound City 120 head.

 

A.C.

[timwat]

I should probably make clear, I'm not really out to imitate a guitar necessarily... I just want a killer lead sound that will cut and have some of the grunge and dynamics I found in that Montage patch. If I need to go to guitar software to get it that's fine as well. Just curious why I can't get it from my synths. Ok I am now seeing that the Montage has AWM2 engine as well, whereas I was thinking it was just a synth..so maybe sample based is indeed the answer?

 

Lily,

 

If you're looking to develop a lead sound that 1) cuts through a dense mix, 2) gives you dynamics, variation and expressiveness, I'd suggest really working on developing something personal. It may take you a while, as there are LOTS of possible components including external pedals, specific amplification, etc.

 

Check out where Derek Sherinian is in his journey, for example:

 

[video:youtube]

 

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned, is I think good lead playing always plays careful attention to attack articulation. Think of how a singer personalizes a melody line - sure, there is note selection, melisma, grace note selection, etc....but great singers use attack in conjunction with rhythmic placement to provide color, accent, emphasize certain passages, glide into others, play behind the beat, etc.

 

Whether that's through a volume pedal, judicious use of velocity to change filter attack time, whatever - if you can develop a lead patch that allows you to alter the note attack as a means of expression...and then practice, practice, practice so it all becomes second hand, you'll have a lead voice that's uniquely your own.

[EricBarker]

Orange Tree users. I have Strawberry Electric and have used it extensively, however, I always found it a tad too bright, and lacks a tone nob. Even throwing an EQ on before the amp never seems to hit it quite right. I finally started doing leads using Impact Soundworks Shreddage 2, and even though it's designed more for rhythm, it just sounded a lot more pleasing to my ears. That said, it's been a long time, I haven't checked out Orange Tree's newer offerings, how do they compare with Strawberry?

 

To chime in on synth leads: yeah, I never use lead guitar patches live (just for mockups), I always use synth leads. My very favorite is Derek Sherinian's Trinity Monster Lead from his Dream Theater "Falling into Infinity" and early Planet X days. He later tweaked it, and I find the newer one to be a little too harmonically chaotic, but that first version is my holy grail, and I stole it long ago as my signature lead. It's construction is surprisingly simple, just a single-voice saw into Wah and Amp sim, and delay, but it relies on the specific properties of the Korg Trinity effects system and is pretty much impossible to reproduce otherwise. Luckily, Korg's "Legacy Collection" software uses the effects processor right off the Trinity, and you can use any synth you want for the base sound. I've even created a MPE version to use with the Seaboard, which is a FANTASTIC combination.

 

I never particularly cared for Rudess's signature lead, though it's alright. It's just not as raw and grungy as Derek or Jan Hammer.

 

EDIT: I just noticed the video TimWat posted with Derek. FANTASTIC! So fun to watch him work that stuff. The material he comes up with is also just so tasteful, even when it's virtuosic. He never forgets his jazz/blues roots. Probably tied with Corey Henry as my favorite contemporary keyboard player

[Steve Nathan]

LilyM

 

Try running sounds you already have through this.

I run non-guitar sounds through all the time with great results.

 

Scuffham 2 Amp sim 15 day free demo

 

or this

 

Peavey Revalver Demo

[LilyM]

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the great advice and help! So, I think I have a good sense of some great ideas for the down chain FX and amp sims, etc that will help me achieve what I would like to.

 

I would love any further help with actual programming the basic synth sound itself... assigning velocity to ? ... crossfading between square and saw osc? ...velocity activated harmonics? ...velocity switching to control the filter as well as the sample used? ...Sync oscillators 1 and 2 and sweep the pitch of 2 with the mod wheel or a pedal for feedback-ish effects...Feedback was re-created via aftertouch control of the filter ...PW with width at about 25% to start and moving towards 45% or so tracked to velocity.... a lowpass filter that's wide-open at the attack and decays (along with amplitude) in abt 60 seconds, coming down 25% or so in the first few milliseconds after striking a key, with maybe 6db or so of resonance ...put pitch bend on pressure (bend up), so when you add vibrato to a note you also increase its sustain time and can change the tone too (since it's also linked to filter cutoff.

 

These all sound like the perfect things to do, but I have absolutely no programming skills... and I know that is my problem and will do what I can to learn what I can, but any help deciphering the above is greatly appreciated. I use Diva primarily...also have sylenth synth 1 and the full Arturia collection, using the Mini Moog, and Prophet 5 primarily. Thanks so much!!

[TommyS]

Now just refrain from a 25 minute guitar solo on Mustang Sally....