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Tone modulator used in disco... what is it?

Deep_SangDeep_Sang 1,081 Posts
edited June 2010 in Strut Central
Years ago someone on SS mentioned what that piece of equipment is that makes that high pitched boooooooo sound used in so many disco records like Ring My Bell. They also posted a link to a site that has a modulator like that that you can mess with in real time online. Anyhow, I'd like to get the original equipment (but would love to find that site again too!), but don't know what it is. Delay recently told me it was made by Radio Shack and might be branded Realistic, but he wasn't sure what model exactly. Is it a moog or a stand alone tone modulator?

Can anyone help?

  Comments

  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    There were a few things that were used for this on disco tracks but i suppose you are thinking of/looking for this:

    http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/d_machines/ehspaced.html

    Space Drum
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    As a practical matter, it's worth noting that the external trigger could be routed from a console's aux send or patchbay, thus using any prerecorded percussive element to automatically trigger the space drum, and thus sync the snare with the tone - as was done with things like the simclap, etc.
  • Deep_SangDeep_Sang 1,081 Posts
    hell yeah, that's the site. big big ups!
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    that's what i'm here for!
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    take a sine wave, patch the lfo to pitch, set lfo to saw wave, synch to note trigger (so LFO starts over when you hit key), and adjust to taste.


    Or what I do is route an envelope to the pitch, set decay to get that fast downward motion.
  • SnagglepusSnagglepus 1,756 Posts
    4YearGraduate said:
    There were a few things that were used for this on disco tracks but i suppose you are thinking of/looking for this:

    http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/d_machines/ehspaced.html

    Space Drum

    I was the one who requested this last time and the very same person came through with the link. Thanks again.
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