Never Gonna Give You Up - Instrumental remake
Vložit
- čas přidán 21. 01. 2022
- Instrumental remake of Rick Astley / Stock Aitken and Waterman’s 1987 chart-topper “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
The video is essentially split into two parts, with a run though of the instruments used and then the full track, which starts at 6:40.
This has been hanging around on my hard-drive for a couple of years, so I thought I’d brush it up and upload. The remake uses all hardware instruments that are authentic to the PWL studios at the time, including the Fairlight Series III (white not grey!), TX-802, MKS-80 and MKS-50.
The Fairlight, whilst playing the authentic string, brass and guitar parts, also doubles as a replacement for the drum machines used on the original track (notably the Linn 9000 and Roland TR-7x7 machines).
The mix was done in Cubase 11, using hardware effects (Lexicon M-300L, Yamaha REV-1, Roland SDD-320 Dimension-D and Lexicon PrimeTime II) and the software UAD AMS RMX-16 for the NonLin 2 preset.
All channels are mixed using only SSL’s native channel strip, with Slate Digital’s VCC on the SSL E setting.
Thanks to CZcams user @Alex who pointed me to the correct Fairlight sounds for the guitar parts (Gtr06Pluk and Gtr07Funk). I’d always assumed that Matt Aitken had played these (as he had on a number of other SAW hits).
Lastly, my apologies for the quality of video - I had issues transferring to my version of iMovie.
Enjoy! - Hudba
HOLY FRICK THOSE TOMS-
Fr
@@teaspoon1987lomen
2:07 I like this sound, my favorite instrument sound/patch of all time
This is literally how it should sound a remake. Masterpiece. I'm completely amazed, congratulations! :)
one of my 80s favorites, you have ALL the layers there!!! This is fantastic, well done!!
Beautifully done ! and the visuals of the equipment alone is just pure eye candy 😀
so helpful to break these parts down.. I hope you do more of these but with the PSB covers. Great job as usual!
Outstanding work!
Thanks John.
Fantastic work - you've totally knocked it out of the park with this one... delicious attention to detail, superbly honed patches, and a sublime result.
Was a fascinating journey to watch you construct the drums - I've always quoted this song as being the "perfect" single, and yet there are elements in your recreation that I'd totally failed to appreciate in the thousands of times I must have listened to it. Particularly that pitched rimshot that's hammering relentlessly through the track, and how important it is in bringing the relatively simple bass figure to vibrant life. It's like the cowbell and low conga pattern in Thriller, once you hear it you can't unhear it. New perspective is a wonderfully exciting thing.
Also really interesting to hear how the Rev-1 ties together the drums in such a coherent way. People often talk about the mighty 480 as being the king of studio reverbs, but although not as "legendary" this is a great example of why the Rev played such an important part in the tight, glued mixes of the time. Much like the SSL's Master Bus compressor, it was the foundation of so much of that pop sound, and I suspect along with (my weapon of choice) the 224 it was used in many a drum group instead of the 480 that folks happily quote.
As someone here has already commented, it was chalk and cheese watching this diligent and informed recreation compared to Doctor Mix's recent attempts. I love his energy and style and totally respect his knowledge and enthusiasm for all things synthesiser, but watching him trying to recreate classic elements of this song with all sorts of modern plugins and hardware and really getting nowhere near the original sounds was a stark example of how it's tempting to use all the amazing power that we have in modern tools trying to reverse engineer a solution, when actually the best answer is right at our fingertips with simplicity and careful programming of the original gear.
Anyway, I'm waffling now. But thanks again for all the effort that went into this, very much appreciated. Looking forward to the next one already. Oh, and I love that you've kept the original CMI monitor atop the keyboard even when it's not used any more; wouldn't be a CMI III without that splendidly 80s icon sitting there overseeing proceedings from its angled vantage point!
Hi David, thanks for your thoughtful comments. Whilst it's not always been popular to say, I have a real appreciation for the song writing and arrangement skills of Messrs Stock and Aitken and this was certainly one of their best. Whilst it 'borrows' elements from other tracks, the arrangement and interplay between the different parts created a fine pop song in its own right. Pop arrangement at its best.
It was actually the Dr Mix video that pushed me to tidy up and post my version. I'd had it on my hard-drive in an unfinished state for some time but thought that it would be a useful complement of Dr Mix's video (which I did enjoy), for people to see some of the actual instruments and sounds used. Coincidentally, when commenting on his video, another viewer pointed my in the direction of the two Fairlight guitar voices that were used (I'd always assumed it was Matt Aitken), which served as the impetus for me to finish the track.
The REV-1 is an interesting beast and is a favourite of mine. In a way, its similar to the AMS RMX-16 in that when solo'd, it doesn't always sound great but is excellent at blending elements of a mix into a coherent whole. I also really like the shorter reverbs and ER's, which are especially well suited to drums. I'm not sure whether it was used on this particular track but they certainly had one in the Bunker Studio downstairs.
Interesting that you raise the point about the 224 vs the 480. I would agree that it's a misconception that the 480 was the defacto reverb from the mid-80s. Having spoken to a number of people active through that era, it's clear that the 224's were still heavily used (esp. the 224XL) and that the LARCS sitting on the SSL's were often controlling a 224XL or a 224XL in addition to a 480 using the Frame link. I'm somewhat jealous of your 224 - it's the one that got away for me but they're just too expensive now. Fabulous reverb.
Glad you enjoyed seeing the Series III with it's green-screen! It still works but the flat panels make much more sense now (and are less likely to go bang!) I couldn't loose it though; as you say its part of the visual appeal of the old series III (and of the era that I grew up in!)
@@EstuaryMists yes, that's absolutely it - those guys really had a knack for structuring the very best of catchy, emotive and rhythmically driving grooves and blending them into pop gold!
Interesting that you were similarly inspired by the Doctor Mix video… it's always great to see tracks recreated from different points of view, and I think (especially seeing his recent Relax video) his angle is increasingly "look what you can do with these amazing new library packs and virtual synths", whereas personally I'm more of a "wouldn't it be cool to recreate those tracks in a granular fashion using the original kit?" sort of guy... but I do really enjoy watching his breakdowns. I just know whenever he says "yeah, that'll do", we're on a different mission 😆
Yes the 224 does seem like the unsung hero of that era, and for me there will always be something very special about the way that it blends and packages elements together in a stem, especially drums. But arguably I think I actually prefer the sound of the Rev1 in the way you used it here. It reminded me that we used to use the Rev5 a lot for live sound scenarios - if you have a very clean channel path and a decent sound system running through something like a Cadac at FOH then you really notice the difference when grouping rhythmic stuff through a Rev5 compared to a supposedly "higher end" reverb. Then if you sit the vocals in the classic 480 plate they perch really nicely atop the whole thing while you just ride the VCAs and feel like a hero.
Haha, agreed... from the moment I saw the PSBs on TOTP in the late 80s as a kid, that white CMI with its tilted monitor was imprinted on my mind as the "look" of a great song. Flat screens just aren't the same, but like you say the risk of a fire is substantially less 🤣
..Perfect!🙂
Amazing job man
HIMNOOO A LA DECADA 80S!! Great Job !!! master
I love all your works. :)
Don't you mean re-works?! 😁
Great job!!!!
awesome work =) loved it.
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Top notch production.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!
This is dope
If I recall correcty, the electro drum synth used in your remake is the MKS-50/Roland Juno, yes?
I've been searching online for a while and I can't find a proper VST version of that synth anywhere.
I'm currently working on a remake of "Never Gonna Give You Up" and I need to have accurate toms.
I kindly request for you to play and record the ElectroDrum preset, play all notes from highest to lowest, then repeat each note 4 to 6 times for variation. Please make sure the notes do not overlap with each other.
Preferably, can you send it as an audio file in a lossless format such as FLAC or WAV?
I will be using these audio samples for my remake, which is why I ask for this.
If this isn't possible, nonetheless I still appreciate you reading my comment.
There is a free vst calked June 21 that emulates the Roland Juno
use june 21 or anthology 85
Good work! I hope you get many views!
Thanks!
Stock Aitken Waterman reloaded 🙂 wow... amazing...please do more SAW stuff
There is so much usefull information, I could watch you do this all day😅
Thanks - I'm glad you find the content useful. Comments like yours validates breaking the song down to show the constituent elements. That said, on my latest video, I've added the breakdown section after the song, which may be a better way round?
@EstuaryMists yeah and you go into every detail you don't show just one or two sounds but everything. It's amazing having the specific preset and seeing you playing it. I don't mind the order, but you're right maybe people are more interested in hearing the song right away when they start the video. People like me will watch it till the last second !
Good to know - thanks for the feedback!
@@EstuaryMists Hey there. I made an AI RickRoll GarageBand video, where it involves Rick’s AI voice instead of the original singer’s voice. Can I send the link to you?
@@EstuaryMists There was a video that I used to watch that was kinda similar to this. It showed and had many instruments fading in and out from the start to the end. Where is the link for it?
Wow, you practically nailed it ! You should send this to Doctor Mix, he did one that was good but veeery far compared to yours, congratulations !
Thanks Oscar. I enjoyed Dr Mix's walkthrough but did find myself talking to the computer when he was musing over which instruments were the original sources for certain sounds!
Using a real Fairlight is cheating. :D
@@EstuaryMists GREAT upload
@@cpt_nordbartit not it’s not a tutorial if it was a tutorial it wouldn’t cost money
Love it. One question though. Why didn't you use Page R? It might not have the features of a modern DAW but there is a certain factor of "this is so cool" at play. It's surprisingly easy to learn.
Can I use this instrumental remake and resample it? I kinda don't want to use the Original here xD
Pretty solid recreation! Congratulations.
I love your synth gear, especially that Fairlight CMI Series III.
If it's possible I'd like to have a brief talk with you. Do you have an email where I can reach you?
Best regards!
Hi - thanks for your comment. I'd rather not disclose contact details but am happy to answer questions through this comment section.
6:43 finished song
The Linn 9000 was heard in the songs "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" (1984) and "Never Gonna Give You Up" (1987).
how do i find you in every video
first sm64 beta videos and now this
Wrong
Nice Copy Sound - GOOD!!!Bravo!!!
❤️
6:43
will you ever release the multitracks?
I am interested you must have spent a fortune on this gear? I used to make my own music and found it was virtually impossible to make any money. You actually have a series III!! How do you fund all this stuff?
Great recreation. Do you know if they had the Fairlight during the produktion of Never Gonna Give at PWL? Are you sure about the Rev1, wasn't it a Rev7? (I am an actual owner of both, just interested in those details and your sources)...
Thanks. A Fairlight (Series III) was definitely used on the record. Ian Curnow says so during the PWL episode of ‘The Producers’ series that was aired on Radio 2 a few years back, where he speaks about the use of the Fairlight string library and brass sounds on the record. PWL of course had the only non-cream coloured Series III in existence. I have no idea whether a REV-1 was used on the record but they definitely had one in the studio complex (amongst all the Lexicons and AMS's). There's at least one photo floating around on the net showing the RCR-1 controller next to a LARC and 224 controller on the end of the SSL in the Bunker studio.
where did you find the PWL Samples?
Noticed that you feature the MKS-50 for the intro toms. Somebody recently discussed this on gearslutz. Did you know this already or did you find out there like I did? Great job by the way. I did a version using only a Yamaha Montage. Sounds better than you think. Will post link here if you're interested.
No, I've known about that for years. Over the years, I've collected a lot of (useless) information about sounds that were used on famous records, though a combination of my own analysis, magazine articles and meeting people that worked on these types of record. Of course it's somewhat easier to do that for this era, as presets were often used due to time pressures and there were fewer instruments available than there are today. Please post a link to your Montage version - I'd be interesting in hearing it.
You're wrong about a bit of these.
The bongo sample is in the TR-727, and so is most of the backing.
The string sample is in the Fairlight CMI III, you're right about that, but it's StrHiII.VC, not ViolinsII.VC.
The epiano is actually from the DX7, same with the bass. The 'epiano' note was actually called the 'bass piano' by SAW, according to an interview.
Thanks for your comment. Taking point 2 first, when I started looking at the track a few years ago, I too thought that the lead was StrHi11.vc (subvoice 2), as the envelope of the sound seemed to match the 7” single better. However, I subsequently listed to the PWL episode of ‘The Producers’ series on Radio 2, where Ian Curnow, speaking about the use of the Fairlight string library on ‘Never gonna give’ said the following; “I will give you an example here, as we used on the Rick record. Here it is in one octave” (plays the top line). But on the record it was actually done in two octaves together, as you can hear here” (then plays the two together). Now, StrHi11 is already sampled in an octave and the sound he played on the radio show matched Violins11.vc, which is why I ended up using that sound instead.
Incidentally, the next cover I will post (when I finish it) is another track from that year that definitely uses StrHi11.vc.
Re. your first point, I’m not quite sure what you’re driving at. I quite clearly state that the bongos are from the TR-727 (1:52). The only other sounds that could possibly be from the 727 are the conga sample and the cabassa. Listening to the Dr Mix breakdown of the multitracks, the conga is unlikely to be the 727, as it is a pitched sample and tonally doesn't sound the same as the 727 conga. The Cabassa sounds more Linn 9k than 727 to me, although given it’s little more than white noise, it wouldn’t really matter which machine was used.
Re your third point, I used the TX-802 in lieu of a DX-7, as I haven’t owned an actual DX-7 for years. As you probably know, the TX-802 is a DX-7II in a rack. Articles from back in the day show that Ian Curnow had at least two of these in his PWL programming suite.
@@EstuaryMists Thank you for replying, most people ignore me. When I said the bongo was from the TR-727, I was clarifying it. I figured you knew, but I didn't notice you mentioned it in the video, I guess I missed that.
Also, about 'The Producers' on Radio 2, I actually want to thank you, I couldn't find the name of it and all I had was a rip from CZcams in slightly low quality and I didn't know what to look up to find the original.
I also want to thank you for pointing me to where I can find the toms to Never Gonna Give You Up, I thought it was from the Roland Alpha Juno. That, or I'm right it's from there, but Redominator (vst to emulate Alpha Juno, I couldn't find anything else) isn't as good as I thought it was.
Hey, no problem - it's good to have a discussion. I was intrigued as to how you knew about StrHi11, as I would doubt that many Fairlight owners would be familiar with that sound!
Re the 727, I try to label the sounds that I use as I play them in the videos. I'm not too proficient at making videos (I've been using the basic version of iMovie thus far), and I've clearly I've not found the best way of adding captions to the screen, as you're not the first person that has missed the text. I'll have to explore other apps and find a better way.
The Producers series on Radio 2 was excellent. They were hosted by Steve Levine (who obviously knows his stuff) and if you haven't heard it, I would definitely recommend the episode about Trevor Horns empire.
You may or may not know but the MKS-50 that I used for the toms is essentially a keyboardless Alpha Juno, so you would be able to get exactly the same sound out of an A-Juno 1 or 2. I'm not familiar with Redominator but I know that U-he's Diva models the A-Juno oscillator, so maybe that would be worth exploring.
@@EstuaryMists If you haven't heard Steve Lipsom talk about creating the Propaganda tracks with Andy Richards and J.J. Jeczalik (I know I don't have to explain the significance of those names!), you are in for a treat. It's on CZcams. They even talk about creating the horn stack in p-machinery. Just wow. Heard about it from my friend who used to work at PWL as a no-name mix master for their 12" mixes in the early 90's (no name because they paid him under the table - so no taxes).
@@Alex-bc7qiwould you have that link ? I'd love to know how they built p machinery😊
Which version of the fair light is this? I have an emulator II and it seems to sound pretty much the exact same
Series 3, as stated in the video description.
@@EstuaryMists Have you compared the sound to an EII? That’s what I use
@@burns46824 Hi, yes, I’m a long-time owner of an EII and think it's a great machine. The factory library and OMI libraries have some iconic sounds in them and the number of records / film score that the EII was used on is testament to its quality.
In terms of a comparison between the two, well each machine its pros and cons and a comparison of sound would also depend on the source material being played / sampled. When looking at measurable sound quality, the dynamic range of the Series III is simply higher than the EII. It’s a true 16-bit stereo machine, which in the older, non-MFX versions of the software could sample up to 100khz mono (48k stereo for the version I’m running) and is therefore able to capture deep bass and crisp high frequencies in a way that the EII simply can’t. So for orchestral type sounds, drums and percussion, the Series III simply outperforms the EII. It also has a lot more memory, so patches can have many more multi-samples in them, giving a better representation across the frequency range.
That said, the filters on the Series III are not anywhere close to being as useful in shaping sounds as those in the EII. Whilst it has resonant (analogue) filters on each voice, the resonance on the Series III is weak and only really serves to give a slight boost to the cut-off frequency. Coupled with that, there is no easy way to dynamically control the filters (you have do draw a function curve and assign that to the cut-off frequency).
Compare that to the EII, who’s filters match that of a high-end analogue poly, and its clear that if you want to sample and playback synth sounds, the EII is arguably the better machine. Also for most synth sounds being sampled, the dynamic range of the EII is more than sufficient, and its companding architecture often enhances the sound being sampled (see some of JMPSynth’s sound packs for good examples).
Bloody typical that you didnt show the EP chords you were playing.
Reduce the sustain in the strings!!!! They need to be closer to a more staccato mode 😊
Agreed.
hey send me a keyboard with a new desk lol
In my pocket I have a phone with more tracks, more sounds, fingertip sequencing, drums etc etc. But I always go back to the Fairlight.
❤