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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Feb 27, 2022 11:20:53 GMT -5
The song isn't all that mindblowing, but the guitar line is cool. It is a weird faux-bagpipe thing. Most of the sound comes from the playing, and getting the melody and little trills to sound like it was a bagpipe. But, something else is going on to give it that reedy, high sound and I can't figure out what.
Doubling the track? Early harmonizer? One of those early, nasal chorus effects with the speed set high? Or, maybe something more nutty like an octave effect? A compressor is almost certainly a big part.
Or, am I just imagining something else? Is it just a compressed, nasal 70s/80s guitar tone?
(Also, you know a one hit wonder when the band name and the song name are the same! Although, to be fair, Wang Chung had a few hits.)
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Feb 27, 2022 12:24:17 GMT -5
Had to revisit an old Google I did myself on the subject. I'm seeing multiple references to an MXR Pitch Transposer 129.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Feb 27, 2022 12:28:11 GMT -5
It was (and still is) a cool song. Still feels 80's but enough of departure to make it stand apart from the Linn drum/Yamaha DX7/chorus pedal schtuff.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Feb 27, 2022 13:21:39 GMT -5
Had to revisit an old Google I did myself on the subject. I'm seeing multiple references to an MXR Pitch Transposer 129. That is great!
I was kinda wondering, since the pitch of those lines would be up in the weedly-weedly-wee frets, but was uncertain if the tech existed then - it kinda reminded me of a whammy pedal with the toe down. I guess the answer is that it did, just not in stomp-box form.
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Post by pcalu on Feb 27, 2022 14:17:27 GMT -5
Big country wasn't a one hit wonder. They had a couple of hits, this being the biggest though (on the us shores) . In the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Europe they were much bigger.
Side note tidbit: Everyone but Stewart Adamson was a professional session player at the time. You see Tony Butler in Pete Townsend's video "Let my love open the door"
Bruce Watson used a Korg SSD 2000 effects processor, a MXR-129 pitch transposer, various effects pedals (like Boss OC-2) and an Ebow... U2's the Edge said Watson is a huge influence on his style.
killer band... Stewart Adamson suffered massively from depression, like many in that state, resorted to alcohol , didn't get the help he needed and committed suicide in 2001. what a loss
This was their first real hit 1983 in the UK
bonus track that probably many not into the band haven't heard. pretty much indicative of the band's style.
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Post by theprofessor on Feb 27, 2022 18:26:52 GMT -5
I’d always heard it was ebow.
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Post by reverendrob on Feb 27, 2022 23:00:24 GMT -5
I'd wager ebow and period chorus, some volume pedal, the lack of normal attack decay screams ebow to me.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Feb 28, 2022 11:39:46 GMT -5
Interesting. I have never used an ebow and am now baffled and befuddled why I don't have one.
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sirWheat
Wholenote
For a better future, play Stevie Wonder for your children.
Posts: 319
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Post by sirWheat on Feb 28, 2022 14:15:00 GMT -5
I have an ebow; unless I'm missing something he'd have to play the whole line on one string to get that sound with one.
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Post by Blacksunshine on Feb 28, 2022 16:35:08 GMT -5
You need something with "tunable" pitch, I tried to replicate it with a BOSS PS-2 Pitch Shifter. It didn't really get too close.
I was in a band with a guy that had the MXR 129, its a cool machine. But his was a double size rack mount box, and super impractical to haul around to gigs.
It was cool though, the knobs on the front were touch operated, you barely needed to tap it to activate the presets. And it had multiple presets that were all tunable.
There was at least one thread on this very song back on the FDP.
Cool song, and great sound!
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sirWheat
Wholenote
For a better future, play Stevie Wonder for your children.
Posts: 319
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Post by sirWheat on Feb 28, 2022 19:27:27 GMT -5
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Mar 1, 2022 10:12:57 GMT -5
Interesting. I was imagining the MXR shifting it up an octave and the line being played an octave lower, giving it that weird uncanny valley thing that pitch shifters give to vibrato and tone sometimes.
No mention of compressors.... some of those older ones would give a funny crescendo effect (Even the blue Boss stompbox one does it pretty well), and that is probably where the ebow sound is coming from. I only used an ebow once or twice, and I can't imagine getting those quick lines with it. Maybe I just wasn't good enough with it.
At some point in the song there is a quick slide down on a string (not sure which string since I don't know exactly what the MXR unit is doing) but it definitely indicates some heavy compression. It is too high of a pitch to be the low E, which I thought was further evidence of an octave shift, but the guy in the video sure seems to know better.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Mar 1, 2022 10:46:46 GMT -5
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