Giorgio Moroder - The chase. Which synths?

[asbak]

Does anybody know which synths and equipment (arpeggiator, harware sequencer?) Moroder used for "The Chase"?



In this TV interview they've got him set up playing what looks like a Minimoog, not sure what the other devices in the shot were. (See 2:32 for a brief shot)

[Rude Talk]

this song allways gives me goosebumps for some reason.

[Rusty_OHara]

Originally Posted by Rude Talk

this song allways gives me goosebumps for some reason.

Because it's ****ing awesome?

I've remixed this for use in live sets because I love it so much.

[Ed A.]

Originally Posted by asbak

In this TV interview they've got him set up playing what looks like a Minimoog, not sure what the other devices in the shot were.

I think the Minimoog was just a stage prop for an audience that didn't know better. He could have been playing a DX-7 and they wouldn't have known the difference.

He actually used his Moog modular system in his studio:

[Xero]

Originally Posted by Ed A.

I think the Minimoog was just a stage prop for an audience that didn't know better. He could have been playing a DX-7 and they wouldn't have known the difference.

He actually used his Moog modular system in his studio:

hah i think i still see a minimoog in the back left there!!!! lol but you're probably right.

[Ned Bouhalassa]

He's the third member of Justice!

[L-feld]

Not really on point, but there's a wonderful video on the making of E=MC2 with his Roland Microcomposer, his vocoder, and his modular.

The announcer has some great lines, including;

"The sound is stricly moogs, memory banks, and moroder."

"If there's a limit to computerized electronic music, he hasn't found it yet. But he's looking!"

[Acid Hazard]

He used the Moog Modular for everything but the snare drum. It's run through an analogue delay for the main sequence. It's actually only an 8th note sequence. Great song! But the original in the movie isn't really like the discofied version. It's also only played for about 5-10 seconds.

[asbak]

Cheers to everybody for the replies

Originally Posted by Ed A.

I think the Minimoog was just a stage prop for an audience that didn't know better. He could have been playing a DX-7 and they wouldn't have known the difference.

lol

Yeah I suspected as much but wasn't sure whether the MM could have made it into the track.

Originally Posted by Acid Hazard

He used the Moog Modular for everything but the snare drum. It's run through an analogue delay for the main sequence. It's actually only an 8th note sequence. Great song! But the original in the movie isn't really like the discofied version. It's also only played for about 5-10 seconds.

Thanks!


And as far as remixes go (which sometimes turn out awful), Jam & Spoon's kinky tribute video / rmx to Moroder is fairly entertaining and contains a few jokes. Of course the original is still the best by far.

[mikael488]

As far as the album version of the soundtrack is concerned: Greg Mathieson recorded every synth and keyboard part in one day!

Says Greg: "The bass parts were done with my Mini Moog. Anything that sounds sequenced wasn't. For the bass parts I would play 8th notes and an AMS digital delay would play the 16th notes. I remember that Giorgio had some small cheep, preset synth that we used for a lot of the melody sounds. I don't remember what it was, I'm sorry. All the other keys were real."

I believe the cheap preset-keyboard that Greg's referring to was a Roland SH-2000, because that's one of the synths used by Giorgio and Faltermeyer for the actual movie score (Faltermeyer told me that a while ago). Some of the melody sounds in the movie sounds pretty much identical to those heard on the album and that's the reason I think it's the same synth.

The other keyboards used on the album (including "Chase") include an
ARP/Solina string ensemble, Fender Rhodes ep, Hohner Clavinet and piano.

They used a lot of Phase and Flange boxes on these instruments.

"The drums were a tape loop. They had a piece of 2 track tape stretched between a mike stand and a 2 track machine and they would VSO it for different tempos."

All the synth & keyboard parts were recorded at Larabee studios in Hollywood.

The synth parts for the movie version was recorded by Giorgio and Harold Faltermeyer at Dan Wyman's Sound Arts studio in LA. Moog modular programming by Dan Wyman.

[mikael488]

Originally Posted by Ed A.

I think the Minimoog was just a stage prop for an audience that didn't know better. He could have been playing a DX-7 and they wouldn't have known the difference.

He actually used his Moog modular system in his studio:

That's Dan Wyman's Sound Arts studio in LA (John Carpenter's early scores were recorded in this studio too). All the instruments you see
were owned by the studio. This photo was taken around the spring/summer of 1978, about the same time the soundtracks to
Midnight express and Halloween were recorded there.

[asbak]

wow this is real history, thanks so much Mikael

[mikael488]

You're welcome, asbak

[KrisMiller]

I LOVE COAST TO COAST!!!!!

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Nice thread! Thanks for the info and the video! I always loved his work.

[mikael488]

Here's another studio shot from Sound Arts, taken during the recording of Sparks' "No. 1 Song In Heaven" album in late '78.
This photo appears to have been taken from about the same angle as the other shot posted above with Moroder.
Note the expanded Moog modular system 55 on the left (out of frame in the other shot).

[EMP3]

This
Thread
Is
Great!
thumbsup

[asbak]

This song for me sums up so many of the things which I love about electronic and synth driven music when it's done properly.


- The hypnotic repetitive arpeggiated figures.
- The evolving character of the sound, always keeping things interesting.
- The rhythmic aspect of it, it grooves!
- Nice chord sequences, cool melody.
- The way the song starts slowly and builds up to a climax before energy levels are taken down a notch again.
- The gorgeous patches

Thanks again to all for the information, we should really collect what is known about all these iconic tunes and compile it into a knowledgebase. thumbsup

[mikael488]

Originally Posted by L-feld

Not really on point, but there's a wonderful video on the making of E=MC2 with his Roland Microcomposer, his vocoder, and his modular.

The announcer has some great lines, including;

"The sound is stricly moogs, memory banks, and moroder."

"If there's a limit to computerized electronic music, he hasn't found it yet. But he's looking!"

That's Harold Faltermeyer operating the two Roland system 700 modulars.
This promo was afaik filmed during the E=MC2 recording sessions in the summer of 1979.

[mikael488]

Another classic by Giorgio Moroder:



Music recorded in the spring of 1977 at Musicland studio, Munich.
Moog modular programming by Robert "Robbie" Wedel (this was before Moroder connected with Dan Wyman/Sound Arts).

And here's an interesting article on the making of this classic track:
Classic Tracks: Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’

Don't forget to check out the excellent photo of Moroder standing in front
of the two Roland System 700's, MC-8, Minimoog's and ARP 2600. I think
this photo dates from the E=MC2 sessions back in 1979.

[kikumotoallstars]

Originally Posted by mikael488

They used a lot of Phase and Flange boxes on these instruments.

Hey mikael, any idea what flangers and phasers were used on The Chase. I've tried to find some info before but without success. Such a lovely tonal effect on this record.

Thx,

K

[ping panic]

One of the best threads I've ever read here.
Thanks a lot.

[mikael488]

Originally Posted by kikumotoallstars

Hey mikael, any idea what flangers and phasers were used on The Chase. I've tried to find some info before but without success. Such a lovely tonal effect on this record.

Thx,

K

I don't know but will ask Greg if he remembers...
I'll keep you posted.

[mikael488]

Most of the synth parts for the Moroder produced Japan single "Life In Tokyo" (1979) were also recorded at Sound Arts studio in LA. Giorgio's programmer (either Faltermeyer or Greg Mathieson) played the main sequence manually on a Moog modular using delay repeats to get the 16th note effects just like they did on "The Chase" (although that bassline was played on a minimoog as I mentioned earlier). Richard Barbieri did the solina string parts (with MXR Flanger*) and the synthy effects (Roland 'Lab series' 700).

* sounds like it could be the same flanger as used on "The Chase".

[ChristianRock]

Originally Posted by mikael488

"The drums were a tape loop. They had a piece of 2 track tape stretched between a mike stand and a 2 track machine and they would VSO it for different tempos."

Thank you so much for this! I've been wondering how Giorgio did his drums for a long time!

I wonder if he was still using this method in the early 80s...

[manfromthe80s]

And the drums in "I Feel Love"? Is it a tape loop too?

[mikael488]

No, most of the drum sounds on "I Feel Love" (1977) were done on a Moog modular.

[SoundEng1]

Giorgio My Musical Hero!

[suitandtieguy]

i finally sat down and learned the B section on this tune. i'm probably going to cover it this weekend at a psytrance party and i wanted to make sure i didn't half-ass it like i used to.

i never get tired of this stuff. these tracks are pure genius.

also, curiously, i find myself really unconcerned with what gear was being used. i'm also not sure i believe any story anyone tells about production on this stuff, no matter how credible the source. for example, there's very clearly a Clavinet playing "ding-ding" every 2 bars on "I feel love" but apparently the whole thing was Moog modular. everything else on the track sounds like Moog though.

and even though i say that, i'd like to thank Mikael for his extensive and informed posting on matters such as this.

am i the only person here who listened to this song for years without noticing there's a backwards triangle part?

[mikael488]

Originally Posted by suitandtieguy

.... for example, there's very clearly a Clavinet playing "ding-ding" every 2 bars on "I feel love" but apparently the whole thing was Moog modular. everything else on the track sounds like Moog though.

and even though i say that, i'd like to thank Mikael for his extensive and informed posting on matters such as this.

Thank you for the kind words

Re "I feel love": from what I understand they also used a minimoog and Polymoog (chord swells). And I'm sure
you're right about a clavinet being used in the song.