Can anyone identify what these sounds are?

L

LindenGarcia18

Guest
Hi.

I was wondering if you could listen to these songs and perhaps identify some of the instruments or sounds being used in them.
They're all sounds from the game "Shenmue".
I've always been a fan of the sound design and music of Shenmue, not to mention the fantastic score, and would like to ask for some help figuring out mainly what sounds were used, and perhaps what rompler unit they're from (if they are) if you know that as well.
My guess seen as it was a late 90's game, and given the nature of some of the sounds, allot of them might be something from one of the E-MU Emulators, or perhaps the roland JV10/2080.
I'll put up some of the video's and a description of what I'm looking for in each.
If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it, been curious for a long time.


In this piece:

There's a percussive sound playing the main melody. I have no idea what this is.
I was wondering what the baseline is too, I believe it's something of one of E-MU's libraries, perhaps the E II.





In this track, there's a guitar type sound I'd really like to know where to get hold of.
I suspect again, that it's from an E-MU module, has that feel to it, or perhaps one of Rolands JV racks.
Also, if anyone knows, what sort of unit should I look for, for those 90's pad type sounds heard in this track?


 
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There's a glock type instrument used in this one that comes in at 0:13.
Some sort of Japanese equivalent to the glockenspiel perhaps?



And finally, this sound.
I've always wondered what the hell this was. Quite unusual. It plays at 0:47 of the video and whenever he selects something.





If anyone can help, as I say I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks. :)

- Linden
 
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song 1

melody is most likely on a mokkin a type of xylophone, I'd use a marimba if I could not find a sample set
the bass is just a regular orchestral bowed bass with some extra saw wave added to the body of the sound (not the attack or the release)

song 2

it's just a regular acoustic guitar sample set - but obviously from a keyboard rather than the real thing
the pad sounds like a shakuhachi with low vibrato - lots of keyboards and modules had this from the mid 80's on - could also be a No-Flute, in either case, the sound set is played with multiple notes forming a chordal background

song 3

that sounds like a regular xylophone played with metal mallets in octaves at the top of the instrument and possibly doubled at the octave with a glock played with plastic mallets

song 4

standard tracker type selection sound from early atari/amiga games - it is a 5 note semitone run up played with a square wave - A-A#-B-C-C# or similar the frist 4 notes are at the 64th or smaller
 
Thanks allot for the reply.


song 1

melody is most likely on a mokkin a type of xylophone, I'd use a marimba if I could not find a sample set
the bass is just a regular orchestral bowed bass with some extra saw wave added to the body of the sound (not the attack or the release)
Click to expand...

Interesting. Never heard of a mokkin.

song 2

it's just a regular acoustic guitar sample set - but obviously from a keyboard rather than the real thing
Click to expand...

Yeah I was thinking E-MU proteus.

the pad sounds like a shakuhachi with low vibrato - lots of keyboards and modules had this from the mid 80's on - could also be a No-Flute, in either case, the sound set is played with multiple notes forming a chordal background
Click to expand...

Sorry to follow with another question, but have you any idea which ones might? I've been looking for some of those 90's Japanese sampled instrument patches for a while now (hence the thread) and it seems there aren't many plug ins with them on or samples floating around on the internet. And the ones that are, are very expensive.
My old Roland JV2080 had some Asian-esk instruments on it that still sounded good today, but other than that I haven't really found any.
There was always that awesome patch on the E-MU Emulator 2, which was a shakuhachi, but we all know how expensive those things are, if you can find one at all.
Those 80's/90's racks go pretty cheap today, so was just wondering which ones to look for that might have what I want.

song 3

that sounds like a regular xylophone played with metal mallets in octaves at the top of the instrument and possibly doubled at the octave with a glock played with plastic mallets
Click to expand...

right, cool.

song 4

standard tracker type selection sound from early atari/amiga games - it is a 5 note semitone run up played with a square wave - A-A#-B-C-C# or similar the frist 4 notes are at the 64th or smaller
Click to expand...


Not sure what you mean by 64th.
I have a Square wave up in ES2 in Logic now, but not sure what to do with it to make it sound like that. I understand that it's a run up through those notes, but not how to get the actual sound it's self from a square wave.


Thanks very much for your help, BandCoach, much appreciated.



- Linden
 
64th as in hemi-demi-semi-quaver 1/64th of a whole note or 1/16th of a quarter note

try to get an old Roland mt32 or a d110 or a u110/U220 - these all have the asian flute sounds you seek and the xylophones are pretty cool too
 
64th as in hemi-demi-semi-quaver 1/64th of a whole note or 1/16th of a quarter note
Click to expand...

I see, pretty fast then. :)

So as far as the sound it's self goes, playing a 64th with a square wave doesn't create that sound.
I assume there's some sort of filtering or something going on that I need?


try to get an old Roland mt32 or a d110 or a u110/U220 - these all have the asian flute sounds you seek and the xylophones are pretty cool too
Click to expand...

Ahh yes, I remember the d110, they must be going pretty cheap now, I'll have a look.

Thanks again.


- Linden
 
bandcoach said:
try mixing a saw wave with it there as little envelope control back in the day
Click to expand...

Is it just a standard square?

I mixed in a saw but all I've got is a basic square with some saw wave. The one in the video seems Digital xylophone/marimba-ish.
Adding more voices and tuning on unison made it a little better but it was minimal.
 
change the octave (also the notes quoted are not necessarily the notes used, they were given as an example)

note that in the early chiptune type setups the square wave was actually a pulse wave - so you may need to adjust the duty cycle of the square wave to 60:40 or even 75:25
 
bandcoach said:
change the octave (also the notes quoted are not necessarily the notes used, they were given as an example)

note that in the early chiptune type setups the square wave was actually a pulse wave - so you may need to adjust the duty cycle of the square wave to 60:40 or even 75:25
Click to expand...


Ahh right, that sounds allot more like it now. I think I have the basic sound down.


You mentioned the old atari systems. Would they have the capability to make sounds like the one in the video? Seen as they wouldn't have even been 16 bit I would've thought that sound would've been too detailed.
 
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