McLaughlin sound here

[pingu]

Anyone know how to get McLaughlin’s synth sound here at 1:44 onwards?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_con...ture=emb_title

[marcwhy]

[Hmm, the link that came up was not about McLaughlin...]

[pingu]

1330664[/URL]][Hmm, the link that came up was not about McLaughlin...]

sorry I try again

[xld]

Chorus and vibrato?

[pingu]

1330768[/URL]]Chorus and vibrato?

No i mean the synth pad sound
from 1:44 onwards ….

[pauln]

Anyone know how to get McLaughlin’s synth sound here at 1:44 onwards?

Pretty stunning sound!
Synclavier II by New England Digital, appeared May 1980 at the AES show.
McLaughlin's 1984 album "Mahavishnu" features it, Bad news, it's kinda big...

Yeah, it's the big stack of boxes he's sitting next to, but there's Good news!
One of the three designers, released an iOS version Synclavier Go! in 2019.

[pingu]

1330812[/URL]]Pretty stunning sound!
Synclavier II by New England Digital, appeared May 1980 at the AES show.
McLaughlin's 1984 album "Mahavishnu" features it, Bad news, it's kinda big...

Yeah, it's the big stack of boxes he's sitting next to, but there's Good news!
One of the three designers, released an iOS version Synclavier Go! in 2019.

he seems to play a chord and be able
to ‘hold’ the synth chord pad sound with a foot pedal ….

sounds amazing ….

[MtnCat]

I think JM was using the K-Muse Photon Midi guitar interface at that time.
Initial view at the start of the video is obviously from a distance, but my ancient eyes think they see the K Muse foot controller to his left on the floor.
At about 0:34 seconds in, you can see the Photon controller in the top of the rack behind him. Cable into the unit from
the guitar also. At about 1:46, he hits what I think seems to be the Photon foot controller.
At about 3:00 and 5:12 or so, one can see the LED's on the Photon controller lighting up/moving at he plays.
Those 'glimpses' are behind the end pin of the guitar closest to the rack.
The Photon controller used a pickup that had LED's on each side of the six individual strings and 'counted' the string vibrations.
It tracked really well down to the low A or fretted 5th A. Wasn't quite up to speed at that range or lower.
Video clarity is not good, but the pickup in the sound hole may be a special mount or something else. Not clear at all.
I used to own one of these units back in the day. Regret letting it go, but I really liked it in my little midi studio at the time.

I wasn't there to hear Zawinul and JM do one of my favorite tunes, don't know him, etc.
Your eyes may see something else.


Last photo from an old Reverb ad, btw. No connection to seller or buyer, fwiw.

[pauln]

I think JM was using the K-Muse Photon Midi guitar interface at that time.

I think you're right; he sure looks young in that video...

[pingu]

1331049[/URL]]I think JM was using the K-Muse Photon Midi guitar interface at that time.
Initial view at the start of the video is obviously from a distance, but my ancient eyes think they see the K Muse foot controller to his left on the floor.
At about 0:34 seconds in, you can see the Photon controller in the top of the rack behind him. Cable into the unit from
the guitar also. At about 1:46, he hits what I think seems to be the Photon foot controller.
At about 3:00 and 5:12 or so, one can see the LED's on the Photon controller lighting up/moving at he plays.
Those 'glimpses' are behind the end pin of the guitar closest to the rack.
The Photon controller used a pickup that had LED's on each side of the six individual strings and 'counted' the string vibrations.
It tracked really well down to the low A or fretted 5th A. Wasn't quite up to speed at that range or lower.
Video clarity is not good, but the pickup in the sound hole may be a special mount or something else. Not clear at all.
I used to own one of these units back in the day. Regret letting it go, but I really liked it in my little midi studio at the time.

I wasn't there to hear Zawinul and JM do one of my favorite tunes, don't know him, etc.
Your eyes may see something else.


Last photo from an old Reverb ad, btw. No connection to seller or buyer, fwiw.

Great and very extensive answer
Many thanks ….

If one were to setup a system to do
that today (ie with a pedal to ‘hold’ the
synth pad chord)
what would be the cheapest way to achieve it ?

I’m not loving the sustaining Pad sounds of the various ‘freeze’ type
pedals out there ….

I think I would need some kind of
guitar to midi converter , without needing a dedicated midi pu hopefully)
but had the ‘hold that chord’ facility in a pedal ….

I could then get the actual synth pad sound from any of the midi controled
units available

[Joseph2]

Probably your best bet today is to do a deep dive into what Roland is offering for guitar synthesizers- they have several. They seem to track well, and the latest ones work with any conventional electric guitar. I suspect you could find a Roland guitar synthesizer user forum somewhere too. Try Sweetwater for video demos. (I haven't tried one).

[pingu]

Probably your best bet today is to do a deep dive into what Roland is offering for guitar synthesizers- they have several. They seem to track well, and the latest ones work with any conventional electric guitar. I suspect you could find a Roland guitar synthesizer user forum somewhere too. Try Sweetwater for video demos. (I haven't tried one).

thanks yeah , i had a look at Boss SY1 and SY200 they do have the ‘hold’ feature built in which is
great
unfortunately the pad sounds they offer aren’t hitting the spot for me

in fact I prefer the sounds made
by the EHX freeze pedal by a fair distance

I really want something like what
mclaughlin used or a Prophet 5
‘in the air tonight’ type of pad sound

seems quite difficult to achieve
surprisingly ….

freeze pedal is probably closest