AnsweredHow to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran

Author
j7m1
Max Output Level: -90 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 10
  • Joined: 2015/04/01 11:18:32
  • Status: offline
2015/08/14 09:29:03 (permalink)

How to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran

HI Folks, ive always loved sounds that use (what I can only describe as) that helicopter type effect like the one used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran, does anyone know what the process if for creating that, im happy the phasing/flanging etc that usually accompanies this effect but its that stuttering or sliced up effect that i am missing? Much appreciate folks and have a great weekend.
 
Jim
#1
Jim Roseberry
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 9871
  • Joined: 2004/03/23 11:34:51
  • Location: Ohio
  • Status: offline
Re: How to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran 2015/08/14 09:44:41 (permalink) ☼ Best Answerby j7m1 2015/08/14 10:21:49
Filter swept LFO
Very common sound-effect in the 70s
post edited by Jim Roseberry - 2015/08/14 11:27:33

Best Regards,

Jim Roseberry
jim@studiocat.com
www.studiocat.com
#2
j7m1
Max Output Level: -90 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 10
  • Joined: 2015/04/01 11:18:32
  • Status: offline
Re: How to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran 2015/08/14 10:22:06 (permalink)
Gentlman Jim, thanks for the info will have a play around with that over the weekend.
#3
codamedia
Max Output Level: -67 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 1185
  • Joined: 2005/01/24 09:58:10
  • Location: Winnipeg Canada
  • Status: offline
Re: How to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran 2015/08/15 09:19:44 (permalink)
Any decent synth vsti would be capable of this.
 
Jim describes it well already, but I would add "noise" as a part of the sound as well. On a synth, the LFO, filter and noise can be used to create thunder, rain, jet engine, light breeze, helicopter, etc.... etc...
 
EDIT TO ADD: I just listened to the opening of the song.... scratch the noise suggestion. If you were looking to do a more realistic helicopter you would add some noise to it.
post edited by codamedia - 2015/08/15 09:36:54

Don't fix it in the mix ... Fix it in the take! 
 

Desktop: Win 7 Pro 64 Bit , ASUS MB w/Intel Chipset, INTEL Q9300 Quad Core, 2.5 GHz, 8 GB RAM, ATI 5450 Video
Laptop: Windows 7 Pro, i5, 8 Gig Ram
Hardware: Presonus FP10 (Firepod), FaderPort, M-Audio Axiom 49, Mackie 1202 VLZ, POD X3 Live, Variax 600, etc... etc...
#4
tlw
Max Output Level: -49.5 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 2567
  • Joined: 2008/10/11 22:06:32
  • Location: West Midlands, UK
  • Status: offline
Re: How to get that helicopter type effect used in Planet Earth by Duran Duran 2015/08/15 21:43:53 (permalink)
Without having tried to to recreate it I'd start with a pretty narrow pulse wave from a VCO which is then passed through a filter that's being frequency swept by an LFO and possibly adjusted by hand as well. After which it heads for the VCA which is also being swept by a square-wave LFO to create the tremolo chopping.

Another technique is no VCO wave at all, just a resonating filter which is heavily swept by a pretty fast LFO saw or square wave to create the chopping, a slower LFO sine or triangle to create a little in-time pitch movement then turning the filter knobs as required. Very easy on an analogue synth, even a Korg Monotron can do this sort of thing very well.

Basically it's a similar idea to how Pete Townshend created the filtered and tremelo on the organ at the opening of "Won't Get Fooled Again" by passing sustained organ chords through a VMS synth's modulated filter and VCA.

Sonar Platinum 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit, I7 3770K Ivybridge, 16GB Ram, Gigabyte Z77-D3H m/board,
ATI 7750 graphics+ 1GB RAM, 2xIntel 520 series 220GB SSDs, 1 TB Samsung F3 + 1 TB WD HDDs, Seasonic fanless 460W psu, RME Fireface UFX, Focusrite Octopre.
Assorted real synths, guitars, mandolins, diatonic accordions, percussion, fx and other stuff.
#5
Jump to:
© 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1