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The Sounds of Blade Runner from Deckard’s Dream #MusicMonday
Deckard’s Dream is an 8-voice analog synth that sounds a lot like the classic Yamaha CS-80 Vangelis used to create his iconic score for Blade Runner. Just how much can Deckard’s Dream sound like the original? Here’s the answer from sound designer Christian Henson:
Henson describes his video as a “poor mans homage to Vangelis‘ seminal score, from Ridley Scott’s seminal film Blade Runner.” The video focuses on recreating the Blade Runner Brasssound, one of the iconic sounds of synthesis…. But, while you can get close to the sound with a microKorg, a Behringer D or a Little Phatty – the sound is so familiar that recreations tend to have an ‘uncanny valley’ quality. This is in large part because of the unique design of the CS-80. The Deckard’s Dream synth design is close enough that it comes close to nailing the classic CS-80 sound.
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Roman used my filter design in the DD rev1, rev2 and DV module. I spent a great deal of time back in 2000 getting the phase response of the high pass to be just right as that is one of the keys to CS80 timbres. The user performance controls are even more important: I wrote an eight-page document regarding how the key assigner worked given it was a strange bit of logic derived from the Electone organ division’s method of encoding seven keys with a “bolted on” eighth note. That and the sustain I/II modes make or break the model, and MPE poly channel pressure is a must. –Crow
Roman used my filter design in the DD rev1, rev2 and DV module. I spent a great deal of time back in 2000 getting the phase response of the high pass to be just right as that is one of the keys to CS80 timbres. The user performance controls are even more important: I wrote an eight-page document regarding how the key assigner worked given it was a strange bit of logic derived from the Electone organ division’s method of encoding seven keys with a “bolted on” eighth note. That and the sustain I/II modes make or break the model, and MPE poly channel pressure is a must. –Crow