Nils Frahm - "Says" - what keyboard to get these sounds?

[Andrew.]

I'm a guitar player who has for the past few years been interested in experimenting with keyboard/piano due in large part to musicians like Nils Frahm...

Question for keyboard experts - what semi-affordable synth/keyboard do I buy to sound like this?

 

[thatguyoverthere]

Looking at live videos where he's performed this, he uses a Juno 60 (with an arpeggiator), and runs that into a Roland Space Echo. While probably possible with that new Roland Boutique Juno "reissue" and a Space Echo pedal, you couldn't get that crazy modulation that happens when he's messing with the tape...

 

[Andrew.]

Looking at live videos where he's performed this, he uses a Juno 60 (with an arpeggiator), and runs that into a Roland Space Echo. While probably possible with that new Roland Boutique Juno "reissue" and a Space Echo pedal, you couldn't get that crazy modulation that happens when he's messing with the tape...

Looks like the new Roland Boutique JU-06 has the tones, but lacks the arpegiator of the JUNO-60.

Is it as simple as just finding a keypad/midi controller that has an arpegiator and hooking into the JU-06?

 

[thatguyoverthere]

That could work too. Another alternative for a cheap Roland-ish sound, maybe a Gaia? I love Frahm's work too, and I'm hoping the new Behringer synth will get in the ballpark.

 

[Andrew.]

That could work too. Another alternative for a cheap Roland-ish sound, maybe a Gaia? I love Frahm's work too, and I'm hoping the new Behringer synth will get in the ballpark.

Are you talking about the new Behringer DeepMind 12?

 

[thatguyoverthere]

That's the one.

 

[jzero]

This does not sound tough. It's a single oscillator sawtooth with a short decay. There maybe be a second oscillator with a bit of square wave in there too. Any synth can accomplish the main sound. What makes it cool is the delay line applied to the arpeggio. There's also a piano sound with a large reverb. If you don't want to play the arp, that makes it harder. You would need a synth that has an arpeggiator that works the way you want. I don't know what is best for these.

 

[Andrew.]

Just reviving this only to post a sample I recorded with my Deepmind 6 - I think I got close, although his version seems to be a bit more pingy - more clear and the delay is a bit more apparent. Definitely needs more work.

Here's what I came up with on the Deepmind 6:

 

[thatguyoverthere]

Sounds REALLY good... I ended up buying the DeepMind too and that was the first patch I tried to create. I think you got closer than I did though.

 

[Andrew.]

Sounds REALLY good... I ended up buying the DeepMind too and that was the first patch I tried to create. I think you got closer than I did though.

Thanks!

I messed around with the EQ and adjusted the delay a bit - here's my 2nd attempt at it:

 

[Jelthes]

Hey Andrew,

I am currently looking for a synth receipe for "Says". But since im such a newbie to synth i cant really make it happen with my MicroKorg. Do you have any advice? Maybe the basic settings?

Thanks alot.

 

[Andrew.]

Hey Andrew,

I am currently looking for a synth receipe for "Says". But since im such a newbie to synth i cant really make it happen with my MicroKorg. Do you have any advice? Maybe the basic settings?

Thanks alot.

Little bit of reverb - something with a nice smooth decay.
Delay set to about 385ms, with the mix about 50% up, and a fair number of repeats/feedback
Arpeggiator set to 89bpm with 2 octaves up ^

A big part of it is the delay and getting the repeats to sort of get that pinging sound where it bounces back and forth off the last note of the 2 octave up repeating arpeggio - you just need to mess with the delay repeats and how much of it you're putting into the signal chain.