Which synths did Eno use on the Dune soundtrack?

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by 3001

specifically this: so amazing. This and Bladerunner make me very happy sound wise. sci fi really lacks good sounds nowadays ... :(

As far as I know, Eno only owned a couple of synths during this time frame: the EMS Synthi AKS, the Minimoog (not sure how much use this got), and the DX7. However, Eno would also make use of whatever gear was in the studio, and he frequented studios that had a Prophet 5 and/or CS80.

The basic lead tone reminds me of some of the PolyMod patches I would get on the Prophet 5, where a little bit of noise was used to modulate the oscillator frequency or pulse width.

On the other hand, this noisy lead could be the result of using an deglitching pitch shifter (set to +12 semitones) processing a synth that has been sent through a reverb. In this case, the lower octave (the smooth synth in the right channel) could be generated by any synth - a DX7 would work. The noisy texture would be generated by the deglitching of the pitch shifter trying to lock onto the pitch of the reverbed synth. Since a reverb totally jumbles phase, and the deglitcher works on finding periodic waveforms, the result is a window size that changes rapidly, producing noise. If you aren't completely bored by that description, I go into even more nerdish detail on my blog:

Shimmer: Modulation, auto-correlation, and decorrelation

I don't think that Eno is using the feedback loop trick on this track that I am using in ValhallaShimmer (although ValhallaShimmer does a pretty good job at emulating this sound). It sounds like a deglitching pitch shifter, trying and failing to deglitch a reverbed signal. Eno often used an AMS DMX-1580 pitch shifter, but any deglitching pitch shifter would generate similar effects, such as an Eventide H949 or H3000, the pitch shifters found in Lexicon boxes, or the Pitch Shifter II module in Logic.

EDIT: I might be wrong about Eno not using the feedback loop. I have been playing around in Logic with a few synths (EVP88, ES1, Diva), and running a reverb into a pitch shifter w/o feedback. The results tend to lock onto the input frequencies or input intervals, in a kinda robot way, as opposed to the randomness heard in this Eno track. ValhallaShimmer, on the other hand, NAILED this sound. Pretty much whatever input I put into Shimmer, came out sounding like this Eno track.

[3001]

Interesting. Never thought of it to be so dependent on the effects.

[itisnick]

I've always associated that isolated track with his "Apollo" album. Not that I'm saying it's a leftover track, just that I hear similarities in general date and sound imho. Wikipedia infers it was the only used portion of a complete score. If I had to guess I'd think there would be more proof of a full score even if it was locked away. Perhaps the track is a try out/demo for an Eno score, that would make sense.

I'm quite confident the uniqueness in the sound has the greater part to do with the effects chain. Synths just don't sound like that without serious fx processing.

[3001]

Originally Posted by itisnick

I've always associated that isolated track with his "Apollo" album. Not that I'm saying it's a leftover track, just that I hear similarities in general date and sound imho. Wikipedia infers it was the only used portion of a complete score. If I had to guess I'd think there would be more proof of a full score even if it was locked away. Perhaps the track is a try out/demo for an Eno score, that would make sense.

I'm quite confident the uniqueness in the sound has the greater part to do with the effects chain. Synths just don't sound like that without serious fx processing.

Checking out that album now. Thanks for bringing it up and thanks for spotify:D

I never got much into Brian Eno, I liked ambient on land, bought that, and then picked up ambient for airports, and just wasn't feeling that one at all, never really pursued it more...

[Mononym]

Originally Posted by 3001

sci fi really lacks good sounds nowadays ... :(

[_seph]

that Daft Punk track, although well produced, really does nothing for me...

Originally Posted by 3001

...sci fi really lacks good sounds nowadays ... :(

closer to the spirit of Dune, here are a few favorite modern Sci-Fi themes

[pearlywhites]

good choices above tho i do agree on the lack of good sci fi recently

in my mind there is plenty of post trap step coming from latin american cinema



i am firing blanks for straight sci fi

[Starspawn]

Im waiting for Mars et Avril DVD release in April I think it was.
Seemed like a very decent Sci-Fi, and it will be interesting to hear what Benoit Charest has to add to the scifi soundtracks catalogue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zV8D5VfEXs
I think the beat heavy track is trailer only, and by someone else, but theres some snippets to be heard here as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0opeBuylw

Hopefully a lot of pretty blending of styles ... like sakamotos recent collaborations only different instrument.
The concept of the movie (odd instrument makers and players in the future) certainly sets the stage for creating good music at least.

Here we go, some interesting concept creations, although not that unique sounding (mostly known instruments with slight effects, only the last instrument sounded like a synth )
https://soundcloud.com/marsetavril

[Lotus Voltage]

I agree with @itisnick... Eno's sound is a result of effects processing. A lot of tape delays, chorus, reverb etc on his music of that era.