Jean-Michel Jarre style synth

Creations & Ideas
1

Hello pi folks,

sorry if the question maybe already asked, I am new here.

What Synth is best used to create a 80s Style Track sounds like Jean-Michel Jarre
like this https://soundcloud.com/emilmoeller

Thank you!!!
Udo

2

Most of those tracks sound more like Kraftwerk than JMJ to be honest.

A lot of the synth’s will produce an ‘electronic’ type sound, but ‘fm’ is
a very versatile one. You should also check out the various effects,
such as ‘ixi_techno’ which greatly strengthen the ‘electronic’ feel of
a song…

On top of this you can play looped background samples such as
’loop_industrial’ for interesting effect…

Throwing something quite quickly together you can get a strong sound
in only a few lines…

Eli…

use_bpm 90

b = chord(:b, :minor)
g = chord(:g, :major)
a = chord(:a, :minor)
e = chord(:e, :minor)
c = chord(:c, :major)
d = chord(:d, :major)

chords = [b,e, c, g, a, d]

live_loop :rando do
  r=Random.rand(1..10000)
  use_random_seed r
  chords = chords.shuffle
  
  sample :loop_industrial, beat_stretch: 2
  sleep 4
end

live_loop :main do
  chords.each do |chord|
    this_phase = [0125, 0.25, 0.375, 0.5].ring
    with_fx :ixi_techno, decay: 0.8, mix: 0.25, phase: this_phase.look do
      bass = [chord[0], chord.choose].choose - 12
      with_synth :tech_saws do
        play bass, release: 2, amp: 0.5
        tick
      end
    end
    sleep 0.25
  end
  sleep 0.5
end
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3

Dear Eli,

thank you for your reply. It sounds interesting, not 100% my intention, but I will learn from your code and refine.

Udo

2 Likes
4

Thats very much how I started with SPi, about 2 years ago, slowly adding
new abilities, and playing with the code that many people posted on the
forums. With no formal training in either music or coding, some of it was
difficult to ‘get’ the first time round…

I’m still no expert, but I can usually get the sounds I want now.

No doubt others will post code for you, but here’s a little more to help you along
the road.

Welcome to the SPi forums, I look forward to hearing your music.

Eli…

# Cough Drops
# Eli...


use_bpm 120 # set beat speed of the track
set_volume! 3 # set master volume to 3.

live_loop :landing do
  bass_line = [:e1, :c1, :e1, :c2].ring #Set up a ring of notes
  with_fx :slicer, phase: [0.25, 0.5].choose, invert_wave: 0, wave: 2, amp: 2 do
    s = synth :pretty_bell, note: bass_line.tick, sustain: 4, cutoff: 90
    control s, cutoff_slide: 4, cutoff: 120
  end
  sleep 4
end

live_loop :random_riff do
  use_random_seed 10300
  use_synth :prophet
  s = [0.125, 0.25, 0.5].choose
  8.times do
    r = [0.125, 0.25, 1, 2].choose
    n = (scale :e2, :minor).choose
    co = rrand(30, 100)
    play n, release: r, cutoff: co
    sleep s
  end
end

live_loop :drums do
  use_random_seed 2001
  16.times do
    r = rrand_i(2, 10)
    sample :drum_bass_hard, beat_stretch: 4, rate: r, amp: rand+2
    sleep 4
  end
end

live_loop :trill do
  notes = (scale :e3, :minor_pentatonic)
  sn = synth :prophet, note: :e1, release: 8, cutoff: rrand_i(80, 120)
  sleep 1
  16.times do
    control sn, note: notes.tick
    sleep 0.125
  end
end
3 Likes