Attempting to be Jean Michel Jarre

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Title says it all.

I think its not bad , but the melody does not sound Jarre to me at all :(
Not enough repetition ? Too much variation ?

Intro and bbe, clearly, Oxygene IV inspired, but not making a cover.
Trying to make something Jarre could have made.


:P ( The wind = Triple OS, automated panning, res and frequency. )

Strings used are called Jarre strings, zybaddsubfx. Happy with those.

I love my bassline, also Triple OS, arpeggio.
But that melody hmmm ? :x

Any thoughts ?

Edit newer version
https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/jarre-test2
Made some progress, with help of the Linux musicians forum.

For the melody now using the notes from the underlying chord as was suggested there.

Not sure how much its like Jarre, but I am starting to really like what I have now.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/jarre-test3


Might try to use a different chord, one with 4 notes, so I have more notes to choose from, for the melody.
Now my chord progression has three notes. ( The strings ) Which makes it harder to come up with variations.
Also tweaked the chord progression a little.

Almost can't believe what I am hearing, I keep making progress. :)
Hi GPS
I thought I've had replied to this post before, but apparently I've forgotten to hit the Submit button... (facepalm)

Ok, let's see if I can remember what I wanted to say:
First of all, you've nailed the reference, your song really feels like it has a JMJ style.

Things you can make to improve the song from my p.o.v. :
You can add a counter-melody going up or down on your empty tempo's,

> Question . . . < Answer
_____P_P . . . P_______
____o_o_ . . . _o______
o_o_____ . . . __P_o___

Sometimes you might think about removing the repetition of the melody in the last 4/4, just to sound different (unexpected end).
Notice also that JMJ changes the main instrument during the track, that plays the main melody.
And at last but not least, don't forget to add those wonderful swipe wind effects he has along the track, as well as other little gems that he adds in the Saturn V, and when he plays the synth guitar or other instruments along with the main melody.

There is still a lot of things you can do.
Good luck
Thank you, I will try your suggestion, on the melody.

Right now, I think the melody is too repetitive, for a Jarre track.

Its a struggle to find a variation that sounds right though. :)


Also noticed, because somebody on the Linux musicians forum pointed that out, that Jarre often has a arpeggio going,

Oxygene IV the bassline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWC-CZd0AEU

The green notes at the start , the chords (yellow) and the main melody (red) all use the same notes.
E G Bb to name a few.

My bassline is different.

Equinox:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi-IurBrg2s

The orange notes.
It's a different style, but this one is impressive in regards of replicating Jarre in his best years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJLI0VuP4c

I think rule #1 one to sound like Jarre is to use the right sounds. No matter how you put your sequences, if it's the wrong sound, the result will never even be similar to Jarre. Get the right phaser plugin and you got 50% of the goal.

My 2 cent.
HITADIA wrote:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:18 am
Notice also that JMJ changes the main instrument during the track, that plays the main melody.
Nice copy "pasta". That is exactly what I wrote :C

@gps For the arpeggios, you can do exactly the same kind of pattern as it is in Oxygene IV.
If you have trouble drawing them in the piano roll, you can also use the built-in arpeggio tool of the LMMS. When you open an instrument, it's on the 3rd tab. you just need to work the extension level and the tempo.

For the bass line, under my perspective, I think it's a little bit more complicated because of the way you already work the bass with the kick on your track. If you change it with the Oxygene IV style, it will hardly sound so good as it is right now and might also lose part of your own originality of it.
But you can try it anyway, maybe you can figure that out. Or you can try to find other tracks for reference.
EMReviews wrote:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:25 pm
It's a different style, but this one is impressive in regards of replicating Jarre in his best years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJLI0VuP4c

I think rule #1 one to sound like Jarre is to use the right sounds. No matter how you put your sequences, if it's the wrong sound, the result will never even be similar to Jarre. Get the right phaser plugin and you got 50% of the goal.

My 2 cent.
Thank you.
This is very interesting, I had never heard of this. He is using the Jarre ( Oxygene ) sounds.

You're remark about his best years made me smile.
I love Oxygene, Equinox and Magnetic fields, zoolook I like less. I have those all on vinyl. :P
Chronologie on cd.

I do like Equinox infinity. That does sounds like the Jarre I like.

A phaser, I was over looking, I definitely need a phaser to sound like Jarre. :)
Canilho wrote:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:30 pm
HITADIA wrote:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:18 am
Notice also that JMJ changes the main instrument during the track, that plays the main melody.
Nice copy "pasta". That is exactly what I wrote :C

@gps For the arpeggios, you can do exactly the same kind of pattern as it is in Oxygene IV.
If you have trouble drawing them in the piano roll, you can also use the built-in arpeggio tool of the LMMS. When you open an instrument, it's on the 3rd tab. you just need to work the extension level and the tempo.

For the bass line, under my perspective, I think it's a little bit more complicated because of the way you already work the bass with the kick on your track. If you change it with the Oxygene IV style, it will hardly sound so good as it is right now and might also lose part of your own originality of it.
But you can try it anyway, maybe you can figure that out. Or you can try to find other tracks for reference.
I think I will release this track, because I like it very much, then my next track will have an arpeggio, like Oxygene IV and Equinox V. Still allot to do first though. I need to add some Jarre like sweeps and such, and I need to make a few transitions.

The bass line is an arpeggio already, its the trip oc. I have improved it a bit though. I am now using two octaves in the settings.
That already makes it sound a bit more like Jarre.

The only thing I do not get is Jarre changing instruments on the main melody.
I don't think he does this on Oxygene IV ?

He does change the melody , but is not using a different synth I think ?
Feel free to correct me on this. :)

EDIT:

I am gonna correct myself. big oops.

Oxygene IV
He changes at: 1.31
Then back to original sound at around 2 min.
Later on switches again.
Gps wrote:
Mon Feb 10, 2020 1:47 pm
Made some progress, with help of the Linux musicians forum.

For the melody now using the notes from the underlying chord as was suggested there.

Not sure how much its like Jarre, but I am starting to really like what I have now.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/jarre-test3
Dude! For attempting to make a Jarre type tune, this sounds really nice. Big props man.

Okay: One thing I noticed about Jarre tunes, is that some of them, have an unusual deep sounding bass melody, that plays in the background too. A good example of this, is from his famous Oxygene 4 tune. You can hear the unusual deepish bass melody, playing in the background.

Holy cakes! That Oxygene 4 tune was the one made in 1976?
Wooah! I thought it was a late 80's tune. Lol! :D
Gps wrote:
Mon Feb 10, 2020 1:47 pm
Made some progress, with help of the Linux musicians forum.

For the melody now using the notes from the underlying chord as was suggested there.

Not sure how much its like Jarre, but I am starting to really like what I have now.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/jarre-test3


Might try to use a different chord, one with 4 notes, so I have more notes to choose from, for the melody.
Now my chord progression has three notes. ( The strings ) Which makes it harder to come up with variations.
Also tweaked the chord progression a little.

Almost can't believe what I am hearing, I keep making progress. :)
Sounds good to me.