Joe Walsh's Lifes been Good Synth Solo

[mdlieb]

I'm having the hardest time recreating this patch. I think it was made with filter oscillation on an Arp Synthesizer. On an analog synth I would turn off the audio oscillaters. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Hanon_CTS]

I'm having the hardest time recreating this patch. I think it was made with filter oscillation on an Arp Synthesizer. On an analog synth I would turn off the audio oscillaters. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello mdlieb,
I believe that you're on the right track.
However, I think rather than turning off the audio oscillators completely, that white noise is substituted.
KB tracking routed to the filter cutoff frequency is important to be able to play the tonality of the sound.

Virtual filters are notoriously bad at reproducing self-oscillating filter resonance,
but I think that with some work you could pull it off.

Cheers, Hanon

[mdlieb]

Thanks for the reply. I tried the white noise but I'm having trouble pitching it. There are very distinct tones. So I've been filtering a sawtooth wave and dirtying it up with effects and compression. It worked out ok on the gig tonight but its not perfect. I'll just keep plugging away. thanks again...Mitch

[Hanon_CTS]

Thanks for the reply. I tried the white noise but I'm having trouble pitching it. There are very distinct tones. So I've been filtering a sawtooth wave and dirtying it up with effects and compression. It worked out ok on the gig tonight but its not perfect. I'll just keep plugging away. thanks again...Mitch

That may be part of the difference between virtual and real analog.
The real analog needs just a little audio going through the filter to get it started into self-osc.
Whereas with VA, it's probably just superfluous.
I'm fairly certain that the original recording used an ARP Odyssey.
I hope that you'll end up sharing this patch and maybe a demo of it with us at some point.
Cheers, Hanon

[mdlieb]

At this point I don't really have anything worth sharing. I think I may open another slot and mix in some white noise to get closer to the original sound. If that fails I may have to try sampling the sound. This is not so much a programing exercise for me as a practical need for an Eagles tribute band I'm working with. I'll share the file if I have any success. In the meantime if anyone wants to take a stab at it I'll be sure to put you in my will.

[DJKeys]

Could you post a clip with the time the sound happens? Thanks-

-dj

[Hanon_CTS]

Could you post a clip with the time the sound happens? Thanks-

-dj

[youtube][/youtube]
The sound begins at 2:54

[DJKeys]

Cool, thanks. Sound like you could use the wheel to control the filter cutoff on that one, but the resonance will be tough, as you said.

-dj

[Hanon_CTS]

Cool, thanks. Sound like you could use the wheel to control the filter cutoff on that one, but the resonance will be tough, as you said.

-dj

It's a deceptively difficult sound to reproduce, even with the original instrument.

Rather than the wheel controlling cutoff, it's important to have the keyboard scale control it, so the resonance can be played like an audio oscillator which will track the notes of the keyboard.

The filter envelope also controls cutoff frequency with an immediate Attack, quick Decay, 50% Sustain level and immediate Release. I think this will give it that characteristic pop.

Cheers, Hanon

[DJKeys]

Thanks , I will check it out

-dj