So i've heard either it is a drum machine with some delay or a highly processed drum loop. So how do you think they got it? What drum machine, processing etc.

 

It's from the berlin session with Bowie during the kraut-rock invasion so you easily recognize one of the kraftwerk' drums techinique... High pitched kick and double panning snare hits with a touch of delay to achieve some sort of claustrophobic ambience....

I cant really tell you what drum machine is but I'm quite sure that is a top-notch Roland (Bowie was stick to them during that time)... For the process I will go for a soft limiting compression and some basic EQ... The songs itself is pretty raw and unprocessed...

 

The Idiot was recorded in France:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot_(album)

- though the Wiki page for the song in question erroneously states that the song in question was recorded in Berlin:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightclubbing_(song)

Find out which "old drum machine" was present at the Château d'Hérouville studio in the latter 1970s. One among the Forgotten Keys series for Kontakt, with a bit of slapback, might nail it. Or just sample the intro, like Reznor did.

 

Thanks, good info and such a quick response too. Much appreciated. Can you please elaborate on double panning snare hits part. What is it? It doesn't feel like its panned or panning. Every 2nd kick in a bar panned slightly to right though.

 

Thanks for the pointer.

 

As I can remember from an old Visconti interview, The Idiot, was recorded in three different facilities... Nightclubbing was part of the sessions recorded in Germany (if not Berlin, maybe Munich)... But maybe I should be wrong... For the panning question yep, sorry... I was referrin' to the kick not the snare (i've missed a comma eheh)... My mistake!

High pitched kick and double panning, snare hits with a touch of delay to achieve some sort of claustrophobic ambience....

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 26, 2016

SO far I have established that it is a "Roland Drum Machine" (apparently). It is also referred to as a 'cheap drum machine', rhythm machine or just drum machine. (Since when have Roland Drum Machines been cheap?)

It is mentioned here: -

http://idiotlust.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/recording-mixing-personnel-and.html

and more specifics here: -

http://idiotlust.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/track-2-nightclubbing.html

So the song was made in 1976 and here is a timeline of Roland Drum Machines: -

http://djjondent.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/roland-drum-machines-timeline.html

My first thoughts were that it was something like the Rhythm Ace or Rhythm King, but then I though maybe the snare wasn't punchy enough?

This surely will help to narrow the search down a little!

 

Cheap for them maybe...

 

Roland were affordable back in the day, and not so highly regarded

 

Well judging by that there's only one option if the beat wasn't pre-programmed by manufacturer. It is
Ace Tone Rhythm Producer FR-15 ( which provided the feature to modify the pre-programmed rhythms).
Or maybe it was pre-programmed. It doesn't change the whole song. Maybe that's partly why Bowie wanted to re-record it.