GR-55 David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

Started by HAMERMAN409, March 21, 2017, 02:36:53 PM

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HAMERMAN409

My band is going to try playing Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes". I would love to come up with something close to the sound used in the beginning of the song. I spent a while last night giving it a shot with pretty dismal results. If anybody has tried this already and has a patch they can share or has ideas on how to get there they would be very welcome.

I found at least one post that mentions somebody who was involved with recording the song stating that the sound was a piano ran through a flanger. Ignoring the slap (pop?) bass that goes along with most of it I  still think it sounds to me like more than that is going on. I did give piano through a flanger a shot on the GR-55 and I was not too happy with the results. :-)

aliensporebomb

The original track instrumentation is funk slap bass guitar, the rhythm guitar is compression, chorus and a bit of crunch (sounds like single coils to these ears).

The melody is acoustic piano with a split in the effects: the effected piano is a strange flanged/pitch shifted sound.

To my ears the original piano part sounds like it has a bit of reverb, then there's a split (like parallel signal paths) where the piano has a separate signal path where it has flanging and a strange pitch shifted detune happening in that intro part of the song before the vocals start.

So maybe piano 60 - 65% and effects the rest of the percentage.  But, I also think it's one of those sounds that if you hear it by itself without the backing it won't sound right.  Everything has to have the sound of the original for the piano to sound right in context if that makes sense.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

alexmcginness

#2
theres a few sites where you can download multitrack stems of Bowie tunes. It might be an idea to get the multitrack and use the isolated part to help you set up your patch. I did this with Eric Claptons part on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Theres a way to clone the EQ of the original into the VG using Har=Bal. You can get mighty close.

PS OK, I couldnt find the original multitrack from bowie but heres a multitrack backing track that has the sound pretty close. you can solo the electric piano sound and have a listen without buying the track.

http://www.karaoke-version.com/custombackingtrack/david-bowie/ashes-to-ashes.html?currency=CAD

Have fun.
VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

mooncaine

Would LOVE to know where to find any multitrack stems of any Bowie. I know 2 different Bowie tribute acts and might occasionally get to play with them if I got enough useful Bowie skills together.

I just played a free show where I was on about 15 Bowie tunes. I used a VG-99. We had a keyboardist. I did not cop that wobbly sound you're describing for this show.

But I did make a similar sound, maybe a good starting point for this, for a Dukes Of Stratosphear song called "Mole From The Ministry." If you can wait a day or two, I can dig up that patch, but I don't have access to those files today. It has kind of piano-ish sound that's great for playing high plinky notes around the 12th fret and above, with a lot of psychedelic wobble.




alexmcginness

#4
Quote from: mooncaine on March 22, 2017, 10:38:25 AM
Would LOVE to know where to find any multitrack stems of any Bowie.

Heres a few.

http://multitrackdownloads.blogspot.ca/search?q=david+bowie

These ones are not the original multi tracks like the ones above but theyre good reasonable fact similies and not too expensive. They can be downloaded one track at a time and re mixed. http://www.karaoke-version.com/custombackingtrack/david-bowie/
VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

mooncaine

Thanks for the link! I'll check that out later. I'm very grateful. :)