Vangelis - Alpha cover attempt 2

Questions about producing? Ask them here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kK_HGNOo9A

Right from he start, the almost bell like sound (not the almost trumpet sound)
The midi file I have calls it a Koto

That is an echo ? I already tried a few echo plugins from LMMS but I can't even get close.

What am I doing wrong?

There also seems to be panning on the echo ?

I am also trying to cheat inspired by the midi file I use, for what notes are played.
They just add a few notes fading out, brilliant but does not really sound like Vangelis either.

A Koto, but this is not really relevant for my question. :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFiyZB5ucgo
Not really happy on the echo part yet, but this is were I am at now:

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/al ... n-progress

To do: add bass and a bit more drums.

I would like some feedback if the track is still in tune at 4:10 and on.
Gps wrote:
Wed Jan 05, 2022 6:10 pm
That is an echo ? I already tried a few echo plugins from LMMS but I can't even get close.
An echo is really only a repeated sound that fades in volume. The perfect example is in the mountains were someone shouts, and the sound comes back as it is 'reflected' from a mountain-face.
The longer the distance, the more of the original shout will be thrown back. In music Elvis was famous for using a 'short echo' effect. In some tracks they had the microphone in a big bucket, but some of his most famous tracks are actually recorded in a bathroom!
Even though they called it 'echo', that effect is more like a reverb..
In default LMMS there are several echo-plugins. The one you could use to emulate the Vangelis echo is Multitab-echo, but it actually gives you more creative options if you make your own!
That is very easy.
I showed it in the video about 'handmade' arpeggios -Link below.
Echo-effect made in pianoroll will also let you shift stereo-phase as you like, Multitab-echo does not give you that option.
Multitab-echo settings for a Vangelis echo:
Bars 20
Length 300 ms
Dry: 3.5
Stages 4x
Drag you mouse from left to right so the left most bars in are max and the right-most are 0, that fades the echo

Better:
Handmade video:
Thank you. :D

It feels to me I need a sustain on the echo, but that option is not there. Or is that what stages is about ?

Will give it a go with your settings, and maybe I just need to fade it out and add more notes.

Recently watched a video on reverb. That studio has a big metal plate with a pickup in the cellar.
They also mention a bathroom. lol


The plate at 5:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfESec8Sy0w
Making progress on the echo, thank you.

I also went through synth1 presets, Schiffbauer Kujashi 1 to 5.

I remembered seeing Vangelis presets there.

I am in total shock. Suddenly my track gets this heavy epic feel, we know from Vangelis.
I am seeing the light on basslines and sub base lines.

Even when hardly audible they are very important, to give your music piece some body.
Now I am starting to see why some tracks made with LMMS sounds so good while others sound like yet another track created on a computer.

This makes all the pain and Frustration of trying to cover Vangelis worth it because this is something I can use in all my tracks. :D
apparently the longer the pre-delay on reverb is, the further the sound is from far wall relative to listener, ie relatively short pre-delay means faraway sound.
Monospace wrote:
Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:55 am
apparently the longer the pre-delay on reverb is, the further the sound is from far wall relative to listener, ie relatively short pre-delay means faraway sound.
Thank you.

I have a lot of issues with the plugins in general.

There are two reasons for this, no manual is one, but probably the bigger problem in my case, about 2 years ago not having a clue on what reverb is, or why I would wanna use it anyway.

Then all those knobs, envelop, decay sustain and so on.

So much stuff to learn.

Still need to improve my synth skills, and stop using presets. ;)

It reminds of what somebody said on this forum, who is no longer with us.
He said: Welcome to your never ending journey learning about music. :)
Gps wrote:
Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:20 am
Then all those knobs, envelop, decay sustain and so on.
I love that. Sounddesign is buckets of fun!
Hello !
I'd like to share some of my thoughts , I did a small test with the main melody ( the piano ) .
I got a midi from the internet and I see the notes are very long and it causes some unwanted noise in my opinion ,
So first make all notes the same 1 bar .
I notice the piano is very high pitched and crystal clear so for sure an equalizer like crossover equalizer to cut the bass frequencies of the instrument is good . ( in the channel mixer )
This make me believe there is no reverb involved because it can make the sound blur . I dont know if using two same instruments one with reverb and one with no reverb can do anything good .
So what I did in this quick test is use the equalizer , cut the notes , and most vst have the attack - decay- release functions ,
release can give extra length to the notes .
the knobs in Zynaddsubfx -> show gui-> edit instrument-> Ad synth edit-> amplitude envelope . I only changed the knobs in amplitude envelope and the release is important I guess .

Here is the test : :)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pnMbgi ... sp=sharing
Nice test, I think I started with that same bell. Then noticed Vangelis uses an echo on that sound.

I also had to use a midi file, I don't have perfect pitch sadly so there is no way for me to find the right notes without some help.
So I need a midi file or sheet music.

We might have found the same midi file. I have also been shortening notes, mostly on the brass track.
But I am having more issues, with those midi notes. There is a part in the build up, were he uses stacked long notes.
I cant get that part to sound really good yet. (a type of arpeggio)

I have some ideas on how to fix that though. I also don't understand why he is using such long notes in some places.
Listening to the original it does not make much sense to me.

Especially at the start there are very short notes on the brass part.