Using a synth on a regular basis

[hardware]

Weather Reports Josef Zawinul committed a major sin putting Synth melodies with Tenor and Soprao Sax, many people didnt notice since the mixing of the Reed gave it a unique combination.

Dr.Benny Maupin used Bass Clarinet and Baritone while Herbie Hancock blended synths, but refrained from playing with the Woodwind/Reed, but what a blend there in the 70s that was.

Butterfly from the Album Thrust is a work of art I can listen to and become inspired by anytime.

 

Think about it, Synth Brass from a CS-80 is still desirable 40 years later.

I see ROMplers still using presets called CS-80 Brass.

My Code 8 even has a few.

 

Its our duty to push synths into the mainstream.

Otherwise there could be another era of unplugged which was so boring.

It was thrust upon society by the powerful record executives because they had years of contracts with artists who just werent writing good tunes.

So we were forced into that period and the whole time I had visions of me with wireless everything invading one of these boring events blasting away with synths on Eric Claptons lame version of Layla.

I could just picture Merv Griffin with coffee in hand snapping his fingers while Clapton sat and re recorded, and ruined such a fine song.

Even though he was whining about George Harrisons girl in the most unmanly of ways, who cared the music was great.

 

Sheez...

[drohm]

I always thought Jeff Beck was progressive in his use of a variety of keyboard players that used both synths and traditional keys. I'm thinking I need to play more fusion in order to get some air time for the expensive synths. You guys have me seriously thinking about Moog solos in a bluegrass band!

[Al Coda]

Weather Reports Josef Zawinul committed a major sin putting Synth melodies with ...

 

I deleted the rest of your post because it doesn´t matter why and how he combined synths w/ acoustic instruments.

In fact he´s still and even he died the master of doing that.

He choosed ARP over MOOG because it sounded more "acoustic" to him and because he refused doing what all the otheres did.

Joe is my hero,- others are too,- but he is No.1.

Herbie, Chick, McCoy, Lyle and many others,- excellent artists (not only kbd players),- no question, but Joe was very special.

He used synths like they were real acoustic instruments.

IMO Lyle Mays is on par (somewhat).

 

A.C.

 

[Al Coda]

I always thought Jeff Beck was progressive in his use of a variety of keyboard players that used both synths and traditional keys.

 

You assume Jeff is able selecting kbd players by that criterion.

He´s a guitar player and he asks others he trusts for keyboardplayers.

 

I know people who worked for him in person as well as I shaked his hands because I was introduced to him in 1999 during his world tour.

That doesn´t mean he´s not one of my favourites when it comes to play a guitar and,- especially to my impression as a keyboardplayer,- designing his guitar tones.

I really LOVE Jeff Beck on guitar !!!

 

I´m pretty sure Jan Hammer´s interest playing w/ Jeff Beck was exactly that tone and what Jeff did w/ those tones,- and I can only agree.

In opposite, Jeff´s interest in Jan Hammer´s synth-playing style and inclination experimenting w/ sounds going into the direction and expression of guitar playing, made the decision too as well as the inclination experimenting w/ newest technology per sé.

 

You guys have me seriously thinking about Moog solos in a bluegrass band!

 

Man, why not ?

I remember me shredding Minimoog D solos in folk music already early 80s,- just because the artis payed for enough !

 

A.C.

[roygBiv]

I use the Fattest Bastards known to man.

Ill put Synths wherever and whenever I want.

Dont let anyone tell you thats not on the record.

I mean they can tell you that, but you should reply thats because they didnt use me.

 

Post of the year.

 

I agree! These quotes are now up there with my favorite, Oscar Wilde response to the Customs Control agents in New York:

 

"I have nothing to declare but my genius"

[jeffincltnc]

I love Syntronik on IoS. It's got great presets and so easy to layer and stack up to 4 sounds at once. Cuts through everything, bass will make the floor shake.

 

This thread really has me GASing for a Prophet Rev2 or maybe a good deal on a Korg Prologue 16, but probably a Rev2. I'll take it anywhere.

[hardware]

Weather Reports Josef Zawinul committed a major sin putting Synth melodies with ...

 

I deleted the rest of your post because it doesn´t matter why and how he combined synths w/ acoustic instruments.

In fact he´s still and even he died the master of doing that.

He choosed ARP over MOOG because it sounded more "acoustic" to him and because he refused doing what all the otheres did.

Joe is my hero,- others are too,- but he is No.1.

Herbie, Chick, McCoy, Lyle and many others,- excellent artists (not only kbd players),- no question, but Joe was very special.

He used synths like they were real acoustic instruments.

IMO Lyle Mays is on par (somewhat).

 

A.C.

 

Definitely my favorite for Fusion too.

Those Rhodes voicings and percussive rhythms are phenomenal.

So many examples, but I stole ideas from Man In The Green Shirt Rhodes work, and the ARP in Freezing Fire solo was beyond pitch bend. The way he used the Octave Switch was awesome. Ive never heard anyone else ever do that. Not even him. He did it once, and that was enough it was so good.

[EricBarker]

Weather Reports Josef Zawinul committed a major sin putting...

 

Let me stop you right there. He was genius (and I suspect you were trying to say the same thing in a goofy way). I LOVE his combo of Sax/Synth, truly inspiring. And I would get an ARP over a Moog any day for the same reason, there's just something gnarly and organic about it. Similarly, I tend to be drawn to Tony Bank's ProSoloist tones over Wakeman/Emerson's Moog sounds... though he got too carried away with the BiPhase later on.

 

Zowinul is my favorite keyboardist, and I think actually the most advanced of the bunch. His harmonization and comping were second to none, and his sound design choices were incredibly unique and musical.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Yeah I read the above Zawinul post in the context of he committed [what was perceived to be] a major sin [by the jazz establishment at the time].

 

Im enjoying this thread. Im primarily a piano/EP/organ kind of guy, but Ive been incorporating more and more synth sounds into my music, especially as I develop my sound design skills (and improve my talk box and pitch blend/mod wheel chops). I still tend to use my synth for bass parts, melody lines, and other textures I can weave around piano and organ, but it definitely opens up a lot of opportunities.

 

Since I grew up in the 90s and aughts listening to a lot of music from the 60s and 70s, I think I learned to associate the sound of synthesizers with a drop in quality in the output of my favorite artists. The 80s were not the best period for Elton John or Paul McCartney or Eric Clapton.

 

Snarky Puppy was the band that really opened my ears to how expressive and versatile an instrument the synthesizer can be. Shaun Martin and Corey Henry made it relevant, moving, and unique to my ears, rather than the static replacement for organic sounds I had previously perceived.

[Tonysounds]

Even though I'm piano/clav/Organ centric, EVERY gig also gets my Moog 37. I use maybe 4-6 of my own presets, and it gets a lot of air time. It's where I go when I need to crush the guitarist.

[EricBarker]

Since I grew up in the 90s and aughts listening to a lot of music from the 60s and 70s, I think I learned to associate the sound of synthesizers with a drop in quality in the output of my favorite artists. The 80s were not the best period for Elton John or Paul McCartney or Eric Clapton.

 

That's quite perceptive. In many ways, the mid-80s were pretty terrible on both guitar and keyboard technology. The early digital era created massive growing pains for electro-acoustic music. Learning when and when not to use digital was very iffy. The 90s rediscovered tube amps, and the 00s rediscovered analog synths, which were great gear that never should have been phased out. Live and learn though. I quite like a lot of the experimentation of the 80s, and am often not a fan of the direction music took in the 90s, but I have to admit, the rennaissance of classic tech was very much needed.

[drohm]

The early 80s had some innovative synth usage in popular music. The Talking Heads for example. The classic rock and hard rock bands had some occasional gems too. It is interesting that some of the bands using more synths in the 80's were associated with a drop in quality or good output. For example, some Rush fans view Geddy's use of synths as moving away from their better sound. I actually thought all those creative explorations were excellent. However, I was never interested in the new wave bands of the 80's. Just thought the song writing was terrible. Interestingly, it was the new age genre that captured my interest in synths during the 80s (e.g., Kitaro, etc.).

 

I will agree with Samuel that in more recent years Snarky Puppy has opened my eyes to the use of synths in good music.

[EricBarker]

I agree that the early 80s were great. That was the height and end of the analog poly era.

 

I'm a huge Rush fan, and probably prefer their 80s material, for the reasons you mentioned. It may not be as "Progressive" as their early stuff, but it's more focused, and the arrangements are a lot thicker and more interesting. It's not just Geddy too, Alex was really breaking new ground exploring alternate uses for the guitar. Also, Geddy's voice got lower, and IMO, better. I consider "Hold Your Fire" to be one of my very favorite albums, and everyone loves to hate on that era.

 

As for new wave, they're touch and go for me, partly depending how punk they are. Not gonna lie, I hate punk rock, full stop. Some New Wave bands were a reaction against punk, some were just more punk with some tweaks. Things like Talking Heads, U2, Cure and Cars, which really seem to take some influence from King Crimson (TH), and Floyd (U2, Cure), I'm ALL for, and Cars had fantastically fun use for synths. Eurythmics and Soft Cell are two more that I think are fantastic, which are largely 60s throwback bands with synths. But there's a slew of New Wave that I have absolutely zero interest in.