No More Pain - Cinematic Analog Sequence - Dedicated to ISIS Sufferers

[Dannii]

This is the latest track for my new album 'Hidden Gems | Instrumental Journeys' and is called 'No More Pain'. It is dedicated to those suffering under the cruel hand of ISIS.

Album downloads HERE (all free)

For this track, I used a combination of software and hardware synthesizers and sequencers and also incorporated some tape flanging (an emulation using a custom process I made up from a bunch of plugins and some REAPER multi channel routing) and a Leslie 147 emulation (GSi VB3). I also made use of this years' KVR developer challenge winner, Acon Digital Multiply (GREAT plugin!).
This track started off as my first experiment just after purchasing Zebra2. I was just messing about improvising with a patch that incorporated a plucked arpeggio and happened to record the MIDI. That then became the MIDI track that I used for all the other arpeggio parts. I also duplicated and edited the same MIDI part and used it for the Diva bass and pad parts.

Each of the layered arpeggio tracks were recorded one at a time with all hardware and software being tweaked in real time as the parts were recorded. The Zebra2 part was recorded first, then the Bazille pads (the first was duplicated and tape flanged), then the System 100 parts, and finally, the three JX-3P parts. Diva bass and pads were added last.

Here's the full list of instruments and FX:

Soft Synths:
Diva - Bass and JP8 Cinematic Pads.
Bazille - Pads (one instance through tape flanging, another through Valhalla Shimmer).
Zebra2 - Plucked arpeggios.

Analog Hardware Synths and MIDI Controllers:
Roland System 100 - Main sequenced arpeggios (panned hard L & R), oscillators deliberately slightly detuned - controlled via System 700 sequencer and Frostwave Quad MIDI - CV.
Roland JX-3P & PG200 (with Inque MIDI mod which allows velocity sensitivity via MIDI and PG200/MIDI inputs to be used at the same time) - additional arpeggios (three layers, one through Leslie 147 emu, one through Acon Digital Multiply and another through Delay and Reverb only).
Yamaha NP31 - Keyboard controller for Zebra2.

Sequencers/Arpeggiators:
Roland System 700 analog sequencer (sync'd to REAPER via audio control from REAPER metronome which was split into bar/beat signals and sent to two RME outputs)
Simp Arp (Wolfgang Krumme).
Zebra2 Arpeggiator.

MIDI Control of analog gear:
Frostwave Quad MIDI - CV Converter.

FX:
Valhalla VintageVerb.
Valhalla Shimmer.
VoS NastyDLA MKII.
Acon Digital Multiply (on one instance of JX-3P arpeggios).
ReaDelay
GSi VB3 (for Leslie 147 emu)
Interruptor.ch Wow and Flutter (x2), JS Channelmixer (x2), ReaEQ, JS Stereo Phase Invert - For tape flanging emulation.

DAW:
REAPER.

Interface:
RME Fireface UFX.

[MonoKulture]

I really like the sounds and your mix. I'm always a sucker for the old arpeggiator. You've not just set it running and that's it though, it's being "played", so it's expressive, even though its a machine-drive thing. Lovely lush sounds. Thanks for sharing this.

I've gone on a downloading spree with the plugins you've mentioned.

[Dannii]

Thanks heaps for taking the time to have a listen and comment MK. Much appreciated.

Like you, I have always been a sucker for an arpeggiator. That started way back in '84 when I first got hold of a Juno 6. That synth changed everything for me!! I still have a Juno 6 in my rig too and I use it frequently.

If you're interested in the FX chain and technique I used for the tape flanging, I can post the chain and the presets here (the Wow and Flutter plugin is a freebie and the rest are stock REAPER plugins). I've been trying to find a good VST tape flanging plugin but could never really find one that created the same depth and texture as the real (reel) thing so I set about creating one using a bunch of plugins and am very pleased with the result.

[MonoKulture]

Originally Posted by ReaDave

Thanks heaps for taking the time to have a listen and comment MK. Much appreciated.

Like you, I have always been a sucker for an arpeggiator. That started way back in '84 when I first got hold of a Juno 6. That synth changed everything for me!! I still have a Juno 6 in my rig too and I use it frequently.

If you're interested in the FX chain and technique I used for the tape flanging, I can post the chain and the presets here (the Wow and Flutter plugin is a freebie and the rest are stock REAPER plugins). I've been trying to find a good VST tape flanging plugin but could never really find one that created the same depth and texture as the real (reel) thing so I set about creating one using a bunch of plugins and am very pleased with the result.

Yeah that would be awesome. I've tried flangers and stuff on my tracks, but always found them a bit "artifical" and plastic-ey. I want them to stand out, but not in a forced kind of way, so that would be great to try it out. I'm a big fan of free plugins. The only thing I've bought is Valhalla Vintage Verb.

And ah! The Juno 6. I remember when they came out, I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard!

:-)

[Dannii]

Originally Posted by MonoKulture

Yeah that would be awesome. I've tried flangers and stuff on my tracks, but always found them a bit "artifical" and plastic-ey. I want them to stand out, but not in a forced kind of way, so that would be great to try it out. I'm a big fan of free plugins. The only thing I've bought is Valhalla Vintage Verb.

And ah! The Juno 6. I remember when they came out, I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard!

:-)

Artificial and plastic-ey is a great way to describe how I feel about most of the flanging plugins I've tried too, hence the quest to create something from other plugins to do a better job.
I hear you on the Valhalla stuff too. I've purchased all of his plugins. VVV was actually my most recent purchase and I only held off on that because V Room is so good I didn't think I needed VVV. However, after purchasing it, I use it frequently despite having Room and Shimmer (which I also use frequently).

Anyway, back to the flanger. Rather than post it here where others will probably not see it, I made a new topic for it which you can find here.... http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.p...36#post1397236