Hello please listen to - i want to get that mallet sound(s) starting direct at the beginning (0.01-0.05) from the song:

Ok it starts with middle and deep octave and adds higher octave.. i think it is something like a layering sound between wooden and metal mallets and a good portion of tweaking. But don't know do recreate that - in my ears - (complex) sound? I would try to find something that sounds already close to that. Maybe there are free samples then play deeper notes with wooden and the higher notes with the metal mallets. I would try to layer the sounds - add a little bit from the metal mallet to the wooden one and reverse. But there will be missing some tunings. Could only guess they equalized and added some room to the sound - but not sure about that and what (else) the did with sound.

Maybe i should wrote them an email.

But still want to know how you would try to recreate such sound if you want to.

Thanks in advance.

Greets,
Jack

 

Is that Karin Dreijer i hear singing? :O

About the sound, what is so complex about that? I don't know, maybe i don't hear what you hear but to me it sounds like a synth with a mallet. Sounds cool.
And why make the same sound?

 

I would love to have a malletKAT. Makes synths more playable for percussionists. http://www.alternatemode.com/malletkat.shtml

 

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes Fever Ray is her solo project. The following song is one of my favorite:

Not sure if it is really that complex. I loaded the file into a wave editor. You can see also some panning effect and sure some different velocities. And i as mentioned before i think it has two different sources (wooden and metal mallet). Maybe the easiest way would be sample those elements. But i would prefer to tweak some standard mallet sound to what you here in this song or in this one

- sure it sounds different again. I would like to get some skills in sound design. It doesn't start or end with tweaking mallet sounds.
So don't want to make a copy of that song or that instruments - but i would welcome if i could tell what the have done to let it sound as it does or what i can do to get close (not exactly) to that sound.

What do you mean with "sounds like a synth with a mallet"? Two sources - one synth one mallet or one synth which generates the mallet sound!?

So you are a percussionist? How would describe the mallet sounds you here in the first song. And how would recreate it?


Thanks in advance.


Greets,
Jack

 

Hi Jack that sound is Octobans below is a rough guide to their history without getting to complex, i used them a lot in the 80's hence why i know the sound .... cheers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octoban

Btw the Octobans are sitting in the rear of the mix (if thats what you are referring too?) the upfront sound is a Marimba but it sounds like a DX imitation rather than a true Marimba.

Hope that helps

 

haha lol, it was a xylophone with an ableton auto filter,and compressor. don't believe me, try it :D

 

Nice! good to know that. thanks.

You are right. I'm learning too.

Good luck with the sounds.

 

Try

AAS - Chromaphone

and tell me

 

It is a marimba or balafon type program with some effects. Not to complicated. It wouldn't have to be played with mallets. Zukunft is right about Chromaphone. It is a cool synth for percussive sounds.

 

Thanks to all for your feedback.

Never heared of octobans. Allways nice to see / hear "new" instruments. And yes i'm searching for that Marimba sound. *

Don't want to change my DAW - the rest i would give it a try.. Hm can't hear any filtermovments also the frequencies bandwidth is not that small. Could you please explain what you mean with "auto filter"? *

You are welcome. Good luck with learning and the sounds.

Yes it - see *

What effect do you think have been used? I could not judge if it is played with mallets or not. For me it sounds a little bit artificial or electrified


* Ok. Yes DX / FM i think is a good solution to get close (or even more) to the basic sound. Oh and yes they are some mallet presets for the FM Synth - Yes i want to be able to tweak sounds but i guess don't want to get a FM operator. Some presets aren't that far away from the sound i'm searching for.

I took a closer look to the sounds of the referred song and noticed there are two characteristics 1.) Fast and hard Attack and 2.) some "repeating waveparts" - maybe this is result of delay effect!?.

I'm not sure but i think the ambience / room is one of the important keys to get such sound.

Ok. We have FM here very flexible method - and a wavetable!? synth - and in this case - one that is optimised for such sounds. Yes it sounds good. - also it seem to be more easy to understand - only tested it for two short times. And it invited me to tweak the sounds. The modulation section seems to be fine. That would be a nice fx board or / and Sampleplayer (think you can't load samples with it, yet!?). Never understood why there are so less softsynths that could make "natural" sounds. FM yes. Wavetable yes. So it's Yamaha NI FM 8, Korg's Wavestation, Alchemy and some more and at the other side samplers with a library up to some gb with scripting. I think giga started with that a long time ago. Those giga libs have been also big in size and with advanced features. If i compare that system with wavetable i wondering why need those sampler so much samples/data. Chromaphone is a logical and a good step into the future. I think with such synths there is not much need to modulate the sound extern. The EP-3 is not that bad, but i liked more their guitar apps - only tested them. Maybe their acoustic guitar should get to my set - chromaphone for sure. *yes*

Imagine you load your 4gb steinway piano into your sampler and come to idea you want it to sound more like a harp.

Maybe the wish to be able to do such tweakings with a might be static system will get lost, if there will come maybe just some new products. Synths that are specialised to string-, key- and bass-sounds.

Think with FM and Chromaphone i will get enough mallet sounds to play a long time with it.

Will get a closer look to that tool.


Greets,
Jack

 

NI's Razor makes a good job (generating some kind of mallet sounds), too. Pick up the preset "Music Box" it's a good starting point.

Greets,
Jack