Giorgio

Request or share system lineups and settings.
petejt
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Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 1:06 pm

Giorgio

Post by petejt »

Music producer & composer Giorgio Moroder was a pioneer behind modern electronic music. From my understanding, he used a Rockman for the guitar parts in many of his songs from the early 1980s, notably the soundtrack for the film Scarface.

Does anyone know which particular unit he used & guitar? How he set it up, and the settings?
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Guitarvamp
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Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:02 am

Re: Giorgio

Post by Guitarvamp »

I don't know much about the details of that. But if it's true, much like most everyone in the early 80s, he would have used the regular Rockman headphone unit because that's what was out at the time.
petejt
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Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 1:06 pm

Re: Giorgio

Post by petejt »

Hi Guitarvamp,


I guess there is evidence out there, but regardless, the guitar sound all over that soundtrack is unmistakably the Rockman.


That 'boxiness', the squawky spiked yet narrow midrange in the distorted rhythm sound.
The crystalline & 'cold' texture of the doubled clean tone, which translates to the wide & wavering doubled solo tone.

It's so blatant, iconic & characteristic to the point of being obnoxious- that early 1980s 'Coke Music' 80s processed cheese sound, where I admit I burst out laughing when hearing it! I'm always throwing some of the songs into set lists for a laugh & shake up the audience. It's kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, even though I didn't "grow up" with it.


Here are two examples:

I'm Hot Tonight, as heard in the Grand Theft Auto 3: Vice City, a homage to Scarface
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yao57ZunAbQ

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yao57ZunAbQ[/youtube]

She's On Fire, as heard from the Scarface soundtrack (the film version has an extra solo & is sped up)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWRPfieJxo
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yao57ZunAbQ[/youtube]



Thanks for your response. I suppose he would have connected the Rockman headphone amp direct to the mixing desk?
I'm just wondering if he may have EQ'ed it after, or alternatively did run it through an amp & speaker/s and then mic'ed that up for recording.
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Guitarvamp
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Re: Giorgio

Post by Guitarvamp »

I suppose he would have connected the Rockman headphone amp direct to the mixing desk?
I'm just wondering if he may have EQ'ed it after, or alternatively did run it through an amp & speaker/s and then mic'ed that up for recording.
I guess it depends. I'm just speculating here, but the Rockman headphone units weren't gold back then - there were plenty around and fairly affordable (compared to other devices), so tearing one apart wasn't anything shocking. Def Leppard recorded their album with one that was torn apart (I forget if it was just opened up, had external jacks/switches added, or just was was done to it). It was supposed to have been also used by ZZ Top. I know that in the studio, Def Leppard used "tons of EQ" (I assume to get rid of the signiture "Boston" tone).

Anyhow, the point is, especially when you look at products like the Rockbox, the Rockman headphone units were totally being toyed with. Without it, they really aren't flexible units (unless you like that "Boston" sound/reverb/chorus). Playing with the inner workings at least could let you turn the chorus or echo on and off (or effects loops, or EQ settings, or whatever).

Did they use an EQ with it? I'm sure they did.

How did they run the signal path (direct, through amps, speakers, etc)? Anyone's guess. Megadeth is said to have run a Rockman through the front of a Marshall at one point. Much like today, anything goes. Trying to recreate it is the trick. ;) Just having a Rockman and an EQ will put you pretty close I suspect.

Trying to capture one particular tone usually involves long nights with headphones, a CD/tape player, and lots of EQ tweaking. :)