BlahBlahCafe - Jean-Michel Jarre forum

Oh you mean the Oxygene 2 sequence sound? yeah - I think Frequenz made a cover of that track... not sure though... I don't think it's such a particularly special sound though.. ?!

/edit: Frequenz indeed covered those tracks... find them here

Yeah, I know! VinceBlood and I sometimes chat through email!

I love how he's captured the spirit and feel of those 2 tracks!

But when it comes to timbre there is alot of work to be done!

You are right there is nothing special about the sound on the surface, but actually recreating it is alot harder then one might think!

They say the more complicated/beautiful a synth patch is the quicker it also become cliche, but as in the case of Jarre a whole another thing is going on!

His symphonic approach to synth sounds (and very simple sounds at that) is what makes it so listenable and popular!

Eq1 was played manually

Oxy2 sequence was played on ARP seq. Anyway there are 2 places in those sequence when you can hear some tape experiments

Radek have you tried getting the timbre of the O2 sequence?

It hasn't been confirmed AFAIK that he actually used external sequencers on Oxygene. However, the EMS AKS have a built in sequencer. So that is an option
when speaking of the intro for part 2.

My guess is that the RMI had a mod - trig in or out - that allowed it to be in sync with the Minipops 7. I strongly believe that the RMI is responsible for both
bass and the "percussion-sequence" on Oxygene IV and also of the bass on Oxygene part II.

Who calls Patrick or Geiss or sth for details about the sequencer use on Oxygene?

We need VinceBlood to comment!

Mogwai wrote:I strongly believe that the RMI is responsible for both
bass and the "percussion-sequence" on Oxygene IV and also of the bass on Oxygene part II.

Yes those C & D note plucks (O4) and both basses are indeed from the RMI!

But we are now looking at other sounds that we aren't too sure of.

the plucks are from RMI indeed

there was a topic about sequencers used on oxygene...

still - i belive it was arp seq

Mogwai wrote: My guess is that the RMI had a mod - trig in or out - that allowed it to be in sync with the Minipops 7.

That's my theory too. The RMI HS had a trig input and the Mini pops was modified to send trig out - and the Rhythmin' Computer was born!

Mogwai wrote: I strongly believe that the RMI is responsible for .....and also of the bass on Oxygene part II.

I think so too - using a one key arpeggio and using a slap back tape echo (and some quite 12's). The 3rd bass note is little less strong commingg from the tape echo. Tangerine Dream's Pheadra use the same trick.

Hi all,

Here some details I have about Oxygene album :
- No external hardware sequencer on Oxygene (unless misunderstanding).
- Lots of plays fault on Oxygene tracks, mix hide them with "poesy".
- Jean-Michel Jarre made some mix of Oxygene tracks (Oxygene 2) before Michel Geiss collaboration, there are inedits and was played on French Motorway Radio.
- Electric Mistress is present at 70% in Oxygene.
- When Michel Geiss involved in the Oxygene project, Jean-Michel Jarre had finished the first part of Oxygene (part 1 or first part of album, I don't know ...). But it seems that Michel Geiss has more influence on Oxygene 4/5/6 work than first tracks.
- RMI Harmonic Synthesizer "à donf" (hugly present) on Oxygene 5 with Eminent 310U.
- Michel Geiss is playing Seagulls on Oxygene 6 with the ARP 2600.
- VCS3 has been used for drum Oxygene 3.
- VCS3 has been used on Oxygene 1 arpeggios rises.
- When Jarre/Geiss are using Revox, they don't record the soundmix but the main signal sound, Revox(s) is used as "witness" (needed on Equinoxe 4 lead for example), they later use Revox(s) has an insert on the mixing desk.
- Jean-Michel Jarre was not at all a bad keyboardist at the time.
- Jean-Michel Jarre instrument "predilection" for programming is VCS3/AKS and ARP2600 (less skilled than Michel Geiss althought).

Vincent.

Really great list you've got there. I have no idea where you have got the informations from, but I believe it is real.

I thought Michel Geiss was hired because JMJ couldn't program the ARP at all, I don't remember where I got that from, but it was false then

ZooTooK wrote:

Mogwai wrote: My guess is that the RMI had a mod - trig in or out - that allowed it to be in sync with the Minipops 7.

That's my theory too. The RMI HS had a trig input and the Mini pops was modified to send trig out - and the Rhythmin' Computer was born!

Mogwai wrote: I strongly believe that the RMI is responsible for .....and also of the bass on Oxygene part II.

I think so too - using a one key arpeggio and using a slap back tape echo (and some quite 12's). The 3rd bass note is little less strong commingg from the tape echo. Tangerine Dream's Pheadra use the same trick.

On 16 May 1975 RMI released a note to their dealers on how to mod the RMI HS for external sequencer control. The input responds to +3V pules. Each pulse will increase the sequencer one step forward.

I think JMJ had this mod

J.

Really great list Vince!

LeoDaV wrote:On 16 May 1975 RMI released a note to their dealers on how to mod the RMI HS for external sequencer control. The input responds to +3V pules. Each pulse will increase the sequencer one step forward.

I think JMJ had this mod

J.

I think so too.

I think that he got whatever he could get his hands on at the time to allow him more synth control!

He also had some filtermod installed around 1996. Perhaps that was already mentioned.