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TFC intro
May 30, 2018 19:12:11 GMT 2
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Post by wales55 on May 30, 2018 19:12:11 GMT 2
Something I have always wondered about the intro to the final countdown. Does anybody know in the first few seconds what the rumbling sounds and the four consecutive upbends (not the right term) mean? Has anybody asked Mic?
I've always been interested in knowing what mic was creating there.
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xxxx
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NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 227 
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Post by xxxx on May 30, 2018 23:53:55 GMT 2
Something I've always wondered about too and had the perfect chance to ask him a few weeks ago when managed to talk to him out shopping in Melbourne except my nerves got the better of me and I went blank and talked about old gear he was sampling instead!
It is a very distinct rumble too and I'd be interested to know what patches those bends were made of too. Again, missed the chance to ask that specific question but he did mention that the original boards used back in the day were comprised of the main one we know being JX8P but also using (and sampling live today) the Yamaha TX816 which was the rack DX7x8 beast of a thing so he could have been using that with all 8 DX7's running to get layer something up.
But I agree, its like the helicopter sound at the start of Pink Floyd's 'The Happiest Days of Our Lives', both instantly recognisable intro's to famous songs but also from an engineering point of view, extremely hard to create/record and put on a record without sounding overpowering or thin or weak. Both are powerfully done without overloading the low end or losing any fidelity.
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TFC intro
Jun 1, 2018 2:30:33 GMT 2
via mobile
Post by wales55 on Jun 1, 2018 2:30:33 GMT 2
Something I've always wondered about too and had the perfect chance to ask him a few weeks ago when managed to talk to him a few weeks ago out shopping in Melbourne except my nerves got the better of me and I went blank and talked about old gear he was sampling instead! It is a very distinct rumble too and I'd be interested to know what patches those bends were made of too. Again, missed the chance to ask but he did mention that the original boards used back in the day were comprised of the main one we know being JX8P but also using (and sampling live today) the Yamaha TX816 which was the rack DX7 x8 beast of a thing so he could have been using that using all 8 DX7's to get something. The should have, would have, could haves! I'm surprised nobody has asked Mic this question in interviews. It is probably a diehard fans question but I would love to know the reasoning behind it and how it came about. The rumble is as famous as the lead synth. When you feel and hear the rumble followed by the one time quwahhh sound (sorry again for the wrong term) before the four upbends, you instantly know it's Europe. |
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michaeljessen
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"Will things ever be the same again..."
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Post by michaeljessen on Jun 1, 2018 10:43:10 GMT 2
I once asked Mic about it, and his reply was something like:"It's just some pgm-wave-thing" or something like that. PGM, or PCM or PPM... I don't recall 100% and since I'm no keyboard player I don't even know what it is. But that's the reply I got  I didn't ask what they mean/meant. |
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Stein
Webmaster
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Post by Stein on Jun 1, 2018 10:52:02 GMT 2
I once asked Mic about it, and his reply was something like:"It's just some pgm-wave-thing" or something like that. PGM, or PCM or PPM... I don't recall 100% and since I'm no keyboard player I don't even know what it is. But that's the reply I got I didn't ask what they mean/meant. It might be PPG Wave. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PPG_Wave |
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michaeljessen
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"Will things ever be the same again..."
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Post by michaeljessen on Jun 1, 2018 20:24:38 GMT 2
yes that's the right answer |
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xxxx
Member
NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 227
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Post by xxxx on Jun 1, 2018 23:01:33 GMT 2
I once asked Mic about it, and his reply was something like:"It's just some pgm-wave-thing" or something like that. PGM, or PCM or PPM... I don't recall 100% and since I'm no keyboard player I don't even know what it is. But that's the reply I got I didn't ask what they mean/meant. That could make sense, back on the old Europe The Band forums, Mic answered a question I had about what the 'chime' chorded sound on the track was comprised of and he said it was a PPG Wave 2.2, but like most things on the PPG, you pretty much made it yourself, no presets to recall so indeed it could be again one of Mic's creations using that. |
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