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PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano sound

Posted: 23 Mar 2022, 12:47
by fuztec25
Hello everybody and thank you all very much for your precious help you'll provide...

As written in the subject, i am trying to simulate that "flangey" piano sound wich is peculiar on David Bowie's "ashes to ashes".

To my ears seems to be a piano sound with a flanger and a ring mod. I'm desperately trying to reproduce it on my NS2c but i'm lost... Tried every setting but i don't seem to get close to the "original" sound.

Did someone try to make it?

Thanks in advance and beer offered to all those who will contribute!!!

Grazie, thanks!!!

Fuz (from Italy)

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 23 Mar 2022, 14:32
by WannitBBBad
Hello, unfortunately I no longer have a Stage 2 to provide a program, however I'd suggest separating the sounds: select a piano, and then work on creating a quickly decaying synth sound to go with it. On the Stage 3 the LFO can be applied, however absent that, the vibrato on the Mod Wheel or a flanger on the synth set about its highest rate with amount around 8 or so could cover it. Good luck to you.

LFO ExampleFlanger Example

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 23 Mar 2022, 15:52
by fuztec25
Wannit, thank you thank you THANK YOU so much!!!! How bad i am making patches... Even if i tried for hours to get that sound, you definitely applied some magic i am still not able to!!!!

Again, :thanks: so much!!!!!

Fuz!

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 23 Mar 2022, 16:17
by WannitBBBad
You're welcome! Here's a pic of the synth settings on the Stage 3 using a classic waveform if you want to try to recreate most of them on your Stage 2. The vibrato on your Stage 2 might cover close to what I did with the LFO, and you can try the flanger effect as well. Take care.
DB Ashes2Ashes Synth - Stage 3.jpg
DB Ashes2Ashes Synth - Stage 3.jpg (39.5 KiB) Viewed 3652 times

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 03 Apr 2022, 13:20
by fuztec25
I've been able to approximate the sound following your precious advice, WantItBB!!! Thank a TON for your precious help!!!
BTW: NS2 still rocks :)

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 03 Apr 2022, 22:15
by fuztec25
Anyway... It's rough... Almost rudimental... But at least it's a "sort of"... :D .

Here's my rendition for Ashes to Ashes...

Feel You all free to manipulate/redistribute/modify and reshare...

Again thanks a TON to Wannit for the precious hints :) .

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 04 Apr 2022, 14:09
by fuztec25
Little add... For the piano part i used the Bright Grand YaS4 Sml 5.3.npno. Small footprint with a snappy attack :)

Re: PLEASE HELP: D.Bowie's "Ashes to ashes" intro piano soun

Posted: 04 Apr 2022, 16:54
by WannitBBBad
fuztec25 wrote:Anyway... It's rough... Almost rudimental... But at least it's a "sort of"... :D .

Here's my rendition for Ashes to Ashes...

Feel You all free to manipulate/redistribute/modify and reshare...

Again thanks a TON to Wannit for the precious hints :) .
You're welcome, and thanks for posting your work! For folks interested in a Stage 3 version, I just posted a program at
LINK --> nord-stage-3-programs-ns3p-ns3pb-files- ... 22251.html
In case you want to add to your program, I split the keyboard at C5, placed the intro piano and LFO synth on the right, and placed a Rhodes (EP3 Shallow Close Sml 6.0) and analog strings on the left. Morphed to the control pedal, the Rhodes level drops to zero as the analog strings level is brought from zero. The analog strings on the left are set up so at the end of the song the user can select Mono to change the strings to a solo synth with glide and with the LFO amount on AfterTouch. I hope this helps, take care.