GovernorSilver Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 Around 8:00 Matt teaches a chord progression from a Chaka Khan tune. What tune is it? [video:youtube] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 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] Quote .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irena Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 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? Quote B/Midiboard/VirusKC/Matrix12/EX5/Maschine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 To me it sounds like a pulse wave with some amount of drive/distortion/saturation on it. I can't imagine that is the basic tone of the pulse of the synthesizer (I could be wrong though:)) Quote Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U.Honey Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardware Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 I certainly hear the influence of brass and Reed players Herbie worked with. Especially this solo that sounded like Dr. Bennie Maupin from the Thrust Album. Quote Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U.Honey Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 Herbie"s Clavitar system was actually pretty complex, and ground-breaking for the times. You might enjoy reading more about it: Bryan Bell interview Bryan told me that the synths were run into a guitar amp for that sound⦠Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Cool ! Thx a lot for posting your transcription !!! A.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.