"Dated" keyboard sounds?

xSkarloey · May 2014

Everyone was at it with those 'stabs' at one point. New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" has a whole intro made up of them. Still a great song because/ despite.

viz · May 2014

Fretwired said:

Just listen to Spotlight Kid with its cheesy synth Keith Emersonesque solo .. sounds like one of those awful 1970s home organs much loved by the sort of middle aged men who sucked Werthers Originals and wore cardigans.

Fast forward to 2.30 ...

I just LOVE that - Ok it's dated but I think it's a wonderful use of the technology of the day!

Phil_aka_Pip · May 2014

It works with the music. I don't get this perjorative use of "dated". A period-correct performance of GF Händel's Water Music Suite is also "dated". So is a 1950s recording of a Chicago blues band. So ----ing what?

Deadman · May 2014

richardhomer;240945" said:
[quote="Deadman;240941"]Emulator2

Was that what did the 'orchestral stabs' in the 80s? I'm thinking Yes's 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', ie, anything Trevor Horn went anywhere near.

Some of his productions (Grace Jones's 'Slave to the Rhythm' springs to mind) were superb.
[/quote]

Orchestral stabs were the sound of the Fairlight CMI sampler. Big bucks in their day I believe.

Emulator 2 was used by loads of bands in the mid 80s. Polymoog is the classic Gary Numan/Tubeway Army sound.

NPP · May 2014

in my obviously humble and insignificant opinion everything from the 80s is dated by definition. Hammonds, Rhodes etc. are ok because (a) they are electric, not digital, (b) originals and (c) sound good.

NPP · May 2014

Phil_aka_Pip said:

It works with the music. I don't get this perjorative use of "dated". A period-correct performance of GF Händel's Water Music Suite is also "dated". So is a 1950s recording of a Chicago blues band. So ----ing what?

I think the question is why do we regard some sounds (50s Chicago blues, 60s Cream, etc.) as the standard against which we measure everything else and others as 'dated'. I don't have a definite answer on that and everyone will have their own opinion but I would still single out the 80s as the period of all-round bad taste and therefore dated sounds. Though you could make a case for the 70s being the era of muddy guitars and Dash-can drums.

Phil_aka_Pip · May 2014

good point @NPP ... who is the arbiter of "taste" ?

NPP · May 2014

Phil_aka_Pip said:

good point @NPP ... who is the arbiter of "taste" ?

I am, of course ...

For myself, at least. In more general terms, it is part of an education which will lead different people in different directions, but give each of them a better understanding of what they like and why and hopefully make them better listeners or even players. My education, for example, has taken me steadily backwards in time and I have learnt to appreciate how music that would sound 'thin' today is actually much more dynamic, groovy and heavy than what is pressed into your eardrums today. Others will have different experiences, but will also have become more discerning along the way.

I'm drunk and should stop now!

John_P · May 2014

I remember going to the British music fair in the summer of 87 and being awed by Roland D50 and the new sounds - until they were on every record and replaced the dx7 as the must have sound, the "authentic" flutey sounds really date that era to me until the arrival of the korg m1 with the piano that launched a zillion dance tunes...

Now they are all just part of the process that helps define when a tune was recorded but for quite a while those sounds grated due to their over use.

In some ways I miss those days when new gear exciting - keyboards don't seem to have the big game changing releases anymore but I guess that makes GAS avoidence easier for keyboard players.

RobDavies · May 2014

John_P said:

the "authentic" flutey sounds really date that era to me until the arrival of the korg m1 with the piano that launched a zillion dance tunes...

I still really like both of those sounds - the intro to EC's Bad Love is the best part of the song IMO (I'm guessing it was a D50?)

Grunfeld · May 2014

Bellycaster said:

and going back earlier, I always liked Gary Numan's sound.

@Bellycaster

About 35 years too late I've literally this week just got into Replicas. What a great album.

Bellycaster · May 2014

@Grunfeld

It is a good album, very "Dark" and some great tracks like "Down in the Park", "Replicas" and "I Nearly Married a Human", plus the obvious Hit Single from it.

I have to be in the mood for this kind of music though, but it was very innovative at the time. Also more Guitars on the album than one might expect.

All this sort of stuff was put into my ear 'oles when I was a kid listening to my older brother's records. I can also remember him having a copy of Bill Nelson's Red Noise E.P with about 4 or 5 tracks on it, some live songs on it too.

In hindsight, it was a clever change of style from his Be Bop Deluxe days, a bit more synthy, but still with Bill's energetic Guitar playing.

Can't fault much that Bill Nelson has done really, Be Bop were awesome too.

DulcetJones · May 2014

The Hammond B3 played through a rotating Leslie speaker, now that's dated. Listen to The Allman Brothers "Whipping Post" or almost anything by Uriah Heap from the early 70's. It still has a place in music but once the synth technology took off it got overshadowed.

Lixarto · May 2014

DulcetJones said:

The Hammond B3 played through a rotating Leslie speaker, now that's dated. Listen to The Allman Brothers "Whipping Post" or almost anything by Uriah Heap from the early 70's. It still has a place in music but once the synth technology took off it got overshadowed.

And yet Jon Lord's Hammond sound is nothing of the sort. Hmm.

sweepy · May 2014

I still get a kick from my old Roland JV1080 when using it with the guitar synth. run it through some nice effects and it still sounds huge

richardhomer · May 2014

DulcetJones;247470" said:
The Hammond B3 played through a rotating Leslie speaker, now that's dated.

Went to see Robert Cray the other night and his keyboard player almost exclusively played organ through a Leslie. Sounded mighty-fine to me.

ROOG · May 2014

John_P said:

In some ways I miss those days when new gear exciting - keyboards don't seem to have the big game changing releases anymore but I guess that makes GAS avoidence easier for keyboard players.

I tend to agree, the DX 7 was a step change, although I recall the one we had in 'our band' initially was a mystery to programme, and yet I don't think I've seen change like that since. From my recent foray into the market, the growth of powerful Arrangers and Workstations seem to be the big ticket items and yet their sophistication is often seen as their downfall, with many sounding formulaic, too programmed.

I'm not so sure about the recent rise of toy like modular synths either, but if it gets people using new 'old' sounds perhaps this is good.

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"Dated" keyboard sounds?

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