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Jan Hammer: First Seven Days sound..


HeavyPet

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Anyone know the Jan Hammer album called _The First Seven Days_ ? If so, think to the opening track, "Darkness: Earth in search of a sun", and the synthesizer sound there. I don't mean the background pad, but rather the beefy, modulating, low freq diving and sweeping thing he does. Sounds creature like and primeval. (apologies, I'm not yet up on the more technical descriptions http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

Anyone know what he was using to make that? I just love that.

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If so, think to the opening track, "Darkness: Earth in search of a sun", and the synthesizer sound there.

 

He played that track on the live album he did with Jeff Beck in the mid '70s as well - great disc. I never heard the studio version, but for some reason I seem to remember that he used an ARP Pro Soloist live.

 

Then again, it was the 70's, so my memory is a bit cloudy... http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/s/net/smokin.gif

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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Ah! arp soloist.

With today's hardware (not software synths but actual keyboard beasties), what models out there can do that sort of thing? Or is the answer, "heck, all of 'em can do something real similar!" ? Is it a matter of careful programming with attention to the realtime modulation strips/wheels?

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This was a Minimoog.

 

I remember that sound well (and I still have the LP).

It is very animal-like indeed.

For synths he used a Minimoog with an Oberheim SEM - plus he used the Oberheim DS2 digital sequencer.

For string sounds he used a Freeman with the Moog String Filter bank.

 

A true classic in the history of synthesizer music.

I sure wish the whole LP would be released on CD (I've heard excerpts on CD, but not the whole thing).

 

Zon

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I don't know the tune, but the way you describe it sounds a lot like one of the demos of the sherman filterbank. Check it out here: it's called fb sound 05, General example 1. Those are some pretty serious roars, and they squelch with low end and bite. If you ever want to get sounds that are nasty and pulsing and driving and living, just get a Sherman FB and run whatever you want through it. In this example it's an analog synth, but it's just playing an octave of A's in a rhythmic pattern. All the sounds are provided by the filters and the resonance other modulations.

 

In fact, listen to the General example 2 also, it's basically the same loop except down an octave and with very different filter settings. About halfway through, at 1:12-1:15 there's a huge pulsing dive-bomb that sounds like some kind of insane robotic animal dying. This is one amazing tool. I can't wait to get my hands on it... although I guess I can since I haven't bought it yet.

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This was a Minimoog.

 

Do you know if he used the Mini live, Zon?

 

I remember there was a picture of him on the back of the live album, and I remember the Rhodes with a synth sitting on top, and I thought I remembered it being the Pro Soloist...like I said, I've never heard the studio version. I'd love more info, if anyone knows where to get it, or if it's available...

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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There was a jan hammer cd "collection" came out years ago, but it was very poorly mastered, thin and ugly.

 

I'm with Zon, I would dearly love to see his 70's albums carefully remastered and released on CD. _The First Seven Days_, _Oh Yeah_, _Melodies_, _Like Children_.. some wonderful writing of melodies and phrasing from that bold, pop-fusion era. Yum.

 

Just occurred to me the other day that much of his songwriting phrasing reminds me of Stevie Wonder's stuff from the same time period (1972,3,..).

I'm thinking in specific of the break in Wonder's "Living For the City".

That key modulation stuff just knocks me out.

 

anyway, www.janhammer.com seems to be the official site. I sent in an email request to please rerelase his old stuff.. but got no reply. Maybe if there were enough pleading emails? *nudge wink* :)

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I also requested the release of old stuff on cd from janhammer.com and ended up getting spammed by a listserv for my efforts. I'm saddened by it. I was able to find decent mp3s of some of the early stuff on apsterNay.

K.

 

 

 

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