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What Chaka Khan song in Matt Johnson's video?


GovernorSilver

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It sounds like the section after Herbie's synth solo on Night in Tunisia, which Chaka called "And The Melody Still Lingers On".

 

Those changes happen about 3:30 minutes into the tune, and then he doubles with Bird's The Famous Alto Break.

 

[video:youtube]

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Yep, that's the one. It's a great Arif Mardin arrangement, Ballpark transcription for that turnaround:

 

F/G CMaj7 Bmin7 AMaj7 | Gb/Ab DbMaj7 Bb/C FMaj7 | D/E

 

Now if someone could explain Herbie's lead sound on that track and how to reproduce it...I've never been able to get it with a Mini emulator. Maybe his Clavitar?

B/Midiboard/VirusKC/Matrix12/EX5/Maschine
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Now if someone could explain Herbie's lead sound on that track and how to reproduce it...I've never been able to get it with a Mini emulator. Maybe his Clavitar?

 

No,- it´s a very simple plain single OSC (saw- or pulse-wave into LPF and VCA) Moog Micromoog patch, just only dialed in from scratch for that recording.

ENV settings adjusted for fast runs (that´s why I said "plain" above).

 

It´s Herbie´s performance making it stunning !

 

:)

 

A.C.

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Now if someone could explain Herbie's lead sound on that track and how to reproduce it...I've never been able to get it with a Mini emulator. Maybe his Clavitar?

 

That's a smoking solo! According to discogs.com it is a Clavitar:

 

"Keyboards [Clavitar Solo, Break], Synthesizer [Oberheim Bells] â Herbie Hancock"

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/297531-Chaka-Khan-What-Cha-Gonna-Do-For-Me

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That's a smoking solo! According to discogs.com it is a Clavitar:

 

"Keyboards [Clavitar Solo, Break], Synthesizer [Oberheim Bells] â Herbie Hancock"

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/297531-Chaka-Khan-What-Cha-Gonna-Do-For-Me

 

Herbie himself said in an 80s interview it was a Micromoog.

That´s why I posted above.

If it ran thru any outboard FX/ amplification was not mentioned.

 

I´ve read that in the 80s, so there was no internet and consequently I cannot offer any link.

 

And, the Davis Co. "Clavitar" was just only a CV based controller keyboard and no synth !

So I´m right w/ MOOG Micromoog,- soundwise.

 

A quote from A Bief History of the Keytar:

 

1980 also saw the release of the Davis Co. Clavitar controller, used famously by George Duke and Herbie Hancock, ...

 

 

:)

 

 

A.C.

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That's a smoking solo! According to discogs.com it is a Clavitar:

 

"Keyboards [Clavitar Solo, Break], Synthesizer [Oberheim Bells] â Herbie Hancock"

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/297531-Chaka-Khan-What-Cha-Gonna-Do-For-Me

 

Herbie himself said in an 80s interview it was a Micromoog.

That´s why I posted above.

If it ran thru any outboard FX/ amplification was not mentioned.

 

I´ve read that in the 80s, so there was no internet and consequently I cannot offer any link.

 

And, the Davis Co. "Clavitar" was just only a CV based controller keyboard and no synth !

So I´m right w/ MOOG Micromoog,- soundwise.

 

A quote from A Bief History of the Keytar:

 

1980 also saw the release of the Davis Co. Clavitar controller, used famously by George Duke and Herbie Hancock, ...

 

 

:)

 

A.C.

 

Sure, I have no insights into this. If Herbie said it was a Micromoog then that must be it.

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Now if someone could explain Herbie's lead sound on that track and how to reproduce it...I've never been able to get it with a Mini emulator. Maybe his Clavitar?

 

No,- it´s a very simple plain single OSC (saw- or pulse-wave into LPF and VCA) Moog Micromoog patch, just only dialed in from scratch for that recording.

ENV settings adjusted for fast runs (that´s why I said "plain" above).

 

It´s Herbie´s performance making it stunning !

 

:)

 

A.C.

 

You"ve solved a puzzlement for me. When I imagined the brilliant pitch wheel / vibrato activity Herbie does there, it seemed off. But it"s a ribbon right? That makes perfect sense now. Herbie stands aloneâ¦. ðð

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I wasn't at home yesterday, so I wanted to go back to my column I did on Herbie for my ongoing Art Of Synth Soloing. I transcribed that break (to the best of my abilities) and researched that sound by talking to Bryan Bell, who worked the session. He told me that it was 2 Minimoogs and a 2600 slaved, run through a Mesa Boogie amp (custom, just like Carlos Santana), plus an overdrive pedal. And it was played via the Clavitar. No details on the settings for the synths, but I agree that it was likely very simple, as you don't need a lot to excite the distortion characteristic of an amp or prdal. In fact, it's better if it is not too complex, thick or detuned.

 

I'll see about posed my transcription, since none of my columns are online anymore (you know the story)...

 

Jerry

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You"ve solved a puzzlement for me. When I imagined the brilliant pitch wheel / vibrato activity Herbie does there, it seemed off. But it"s a ribbon right? That makes perfect sense now. Herbie stands aloneâ¦. ðð

 

Yeah, Micromoog and Multimoog use(d) a ribbon for pitchbend.

It was later available as a retrofit for Minimoog D too.

 

But it seems, the Davis Co. Clavitar CV/Gate based controller didn´t use a ribbon.

Quote from reddit

 

(Clavitar) Neck functions from the body to the headstock:

 

"LFO FILTER"

 

"LFO PITCH"

 

???

 

Fader adjacent to 1, 2, and 3

 

???

 

"[???] 2 OCTAVES"

 

"[???] 2 OCTAVES"

 

Fader adjacent to 5, 6, and 7 (my guess is this group has something to do with keyboard split or octave transpose)

 

Pitch Wheel

 

"KBD to FILTER"

 

"RETRIG"

 

"QUAN TIZE"

 

"PORTA MENTO"

 

Fader adjacent to 12 and 13

 

 

 

:)

 

 

A.C

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