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Topic: The Great Plain, What is the lead instrument?

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joeh

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Joined: June 2003

Posted: June 05 2003, 16:37

Anybody know what the main melody instrument is in The Great Plain? It sounds like a cross between a banjo, bazouki and sitar! Thanks

Ugo

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Posted: June 05 2003, 17:43

It's a banjo and a keyboard (harmonica sound) playing the same melody in unison.

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian

bevy

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Posted: June 05 2003, 18:54

its an inbreedoo, a rare instrument found in the deepsouth of
the usa ..

joeh

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Posted: June 06 2003, 11:21

Thanks Ugo. For fun, I am trying to duplicate the song to see how close I can get to the original. The second background sound (panned to the right and delayed slightly) can be copied quite accurately with a square wave with amplitude modulation. However, the main instrument (panned to the left) seems to have the sharp attack of a banjo but more harmonics. My banjo samples sound very bland when compared to the original song, but a sitar is overpowering (even if filtered).

A chalenge to musos out there .....see if you can duplicate the sound ...( and put me out of my misery!

Korgscrew

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Posted: June 06 2003, 13:38

Me duplicating the sound would involve me playing the banjo...you really don't want that to happen

It is definitely a banjo, though - in the Edinburgh concert it was played on a tenor banjo. Getting that sound from samples could be difficult, as a lot are probably intended for being played in a bluegrass type style, rather than the more unusual (for a banjo) way in which Mike plays it.

The keyboard sound's a kind of Farfisa organ sound; I believe Mike actually sampled a lot of the organs which he used on TB2.

Holger

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Posted: June 06 2003, 14:55

Quote (bevy @ June 05 2003, 18:54)

its an inbreedoo, a rare instrument found in the deepsouth of
the usa ..

That is so funny man

BOOsTER

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Joined: Jan. 2003

Posted: June 06 2003, 15:26

Quote (joeh @ June 06 2003, 11:21)

A chalenge to musos out there .....see if you can duplicate the sound ...( and put me out of my misery!

Sorry man but duplicating? uhhh not chalenging at all :P

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http://www.djbooster.net

joeh

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Posted: June 08 2003, 08:10

Thanks for the input, Korgscew. I hunted down some more "lively" banjo samples, which helped a bit, but something still seemed to be missing. Adding a layered Tambra (from a SW1000XG) has given a much better sound. Adding Pitch Envelope to the attack also helps.

This is a deceptively complex track. Even the relatively simple backing accoustic guitar is not all it seems. That seems to be the magic of Mike - take a complex tune and make it sound simple.

Thanks again for your help.

7 replies since June 05 2003, 16:37

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Mike Oldfield Forums » Tubular Talk » TubularTech » The Great Plain