Hi, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, I don't know as I'm new here.
Anyway, can anybody identify the type of synthesizer heard in Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone", Aha's "Take On Me" and the Raccoons' closing theme "Run With Us"?
It seems to be a bass synth, but I have no idea what it is, and I'd like to use it (or a synth voice similar to it) in a song.
Thanks in advance!

Hi!
I don't know about other two songs but I know A-ha's "take On Me" and the bassline is played on old Yamaha's DX/TX FM synthesizers. By the sound of it it is definitely a classic 12-bit, 6-operator FM tone generation.
However, any FM synth should be able to do this sound without a problem.

The one I would recommend the most is Native Instruments FM7. It can import all the original Yamaha DX/TX sounds and it is probably the best FM synth out there.

There are other ways of getting this sound as it is most likely featured in any synth bass sample library out there (it is a classic) but FM7 will do a better job. FM is best done with FM.

Also, keep in mind that most of the stuff in the 80s was heavily overdubbed and processed with FX. The bass in A-ha's song is probably overdubbed, chorused, EQed andd I'm willing to bet that it is actually one or two (if not more) DX synths playing the same part.

-ED-

P.S.
Just checked out the other two songs. Typical 80s DX slap bass. So 80s!!!


[This message has been edited by 3351 (edited 02-16-2006).]

Hi there.
On the music video of A-ha's 'Take on Me' the keyboard in use was the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 which can be viewed at the link below. This instrument was also used when they played the song on the UK's Top of the Pops show as I have both videos and have checked (Huge 80's fan always will be lol).
http://www.synthmuseum.com/sequ/seqpro503a.jpg

Hope that helps

I love the sound of Prophet 5 synths and I've owned one for many years but as great as it is it just can't do characteristic digital DX FM bass sounds.

Just because it's shown in the video doesn't at all mean that it was used to record all of the parts for "take On Me. It's a great lookin' poly analog KB so why not show it!!!

There are some other sounds in "Take on me" that do sound like Pro-5 though.

But not the popular and well known digital bass sound of the 80s.

-ED-

[This message has been edited by 3351 (edited 02-16-2006).]

The bass sounds could be any one of a number of great retro keyboards. The majority of the bands always mimed on shows like Top of the Pops so I suppose they just stuck any keyboard they had in the studio in front of them. Come to think of it that's what most of them do 20+ years later