Whatever happened to the good old sound effects?

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Actually · #1 Post by **Actually** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 12:48 pm

Does anyone agree with me that whilst listening to classic PSB songs, say pre 1991, up to Where the streets.... that the good sound effects heard within the song doesn't really exist now?
Take Suburbia; Dogs barking.It's a sin; Thunder sounds. Always on my mind; Wind tunnel sounds. Heart; du dudu. (U KNOW I WHAT I MEAN). So Hard;Hard synth sounds.
Where the streets have no name; Whistle sounds. Jealousy; A car skidding.
Nowadays they seem to have real instrument sounds. All very well, especially the harp sounds in No time for Tears, & well Integral; at 3 minutes the enhanced chords is true Trevor Horn style. I do miss the old sound effects, but hey things change!

Frequency · #2 Post by **Frequency** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 1:34 pm

Off the top of my head songs such as The Theatre, Go West, Sodom and Gomorrah, Psychological, I Made My Excuses, even Integral with the thunderous applause in the background of the mix towards the end of the song and probably numerous others have sound effects galore in the style you speak of. Its one of those idiosyncrasies that they've never really lost throughout their career.

Phillip · #3 Post by **Phillip** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 2:40 pm

Bring back the great late 80's 12"s with all their great twists & sounds, like 'Left to my own devices' & 'So Hard'(1990)!

Pet Shop Girl · #4 Post by **Pet Shop Girl** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 3:28 pm

What do you mean? They used sound effects a lot on 'Fundamental'. So go back and listen to it again.

Actually · #5 Post by **Actually** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 3:44 pm

Oh sorry, so sorry, Shop girl. I will listen to it again & i'm sure i won't hear any OLD synth sound effects. I'm merely trying to explain the different sounds which are being used today compared to late 80's or early 90's. But you are right, Fundamental is full of it!!!

Pet Shop Girl · #6 Post by **Pet Shop Girl** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 4:03 pm

Actually wrote:Oh sorry, so sorry, Shop girl. I will listen to it again & i'm sure i won't hear any OLD synth sound effects. I'm merely trying to explain the different sounds which are being used today compared to late 80's or early 90's. But you are right, Fundamental is full of it!!!

Its not like something that you would hear from an old DM cd. The sound effects are different from decade to decade. You are right about that.

Actually · #7 Post by **Actually** » Wed 20 Sep 2006, 4:11 pm

Listening to Fundamental as i type...Minimal sounds fresh everytime i hear it thanks to crisp sound effects. Integral, well say no more, Trevor Horn enhances the chord changes just like he did on Left to my own devices.

gelhead · #8 Post by **gelhead** » Thu 21 Sep 2006, 11:45 pm

is shep pettibone still around ? He has the greatest set of cowbells in the world.

Bring Back Shep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets wheel out the old remixers and give 'em the new stuff.

Lets get an 80s twist on the recent stuff !

Actually · #9 Post by **Actually** » Fri 22 Sep 2006, 12:39 am

gelhead wrote:is shep pettibone still around ? He has the greatest set of cowbells in the world.

Bring Back Shep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets wheel out the old remixers and give 'em the new stuff.

Lets get an 80s twist on the recent stuff !

Agreed!

Yoofaloof · #10 Post by **Yoofaloof** » Fri 22 Sep 2006, 3:29 pm

I'm a sucker for a couple of cowbells and an orchestra stab every now and then.

Nickname · #11 Post by **Nickname** » Fri 22 Sep 2006, 3:37 pm

Actually wrote:Does anyone agree with me that whilst listening to classic PSB songs, say pre 1991, up to Where the streets.... that the good sound effects heard within the song doesn't really exist now?
Take Suburbia; Dogs barking.It's a sin; Thunder sounds. Always on my mind; Wind tunnel sounds. Heart; du dudu. (U KNOW I WHAT I MEAN). So Hard;Hard synth sounds.
Where the streets have no name; Whistle sounds. Jealousy; A car skidding.
Nowadays they seem to have real instrument sounds. All very well, especially the harp sounds in No time for Tears, & well Integral; at 3 minutes the enhanced chords is true Trevor Horn style. I do miss the old sound effects, but hey things change!

Me too.

pemachine · #12 Post by **pemachine** » Sat 23 Sep 2006, 12:37 am

gelhead wrote:is shep pettibone still around ? He has the greatest set of cowbells in the world.

Bring Back Shep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets wheel out the old remixers and give 'em the new stuff.

Lets get an 80s twist on the recent stuff !

Ya, I'm a big fan of shep too. some of his mixes were phenomenal back in the day... too bad he became a one trick pony in the 90's... almost all of his mixes from the 90's contained the same house rhythm... but then again he did pioneer the idea of 'reproducing' a track for a 12", rather than just using elements from the original master... so i guess I can cut him some slack.

BimboDuncan · #13 Post by **BimboDuncan** » Sat 23 Sep 2006, 1:40 pm

The new Pussycat Dolls single "I Don't Need A Man" has some great 80s cowbells in the drum/percussion track.

Deschanel · #14 Post by **Deschanel** » Sun 24 Sep 2006, 9:41 am

What about all the cool cinematic "street" sounds that were everywhere on "Please"?

I suppose most famously on the intro to "West End Girls".. they talked up that approach when they were promoting it..

And come to think of it, it's pretty clever- it's all studio synthesis for a long while now, but applied sparingly it's wonderful.. what would "West End Girls" be without those airy atmospheric street sounds?

LoveComesQuickly · Thu 28 Sep 2006, 8:05 pm

It's a kind-of-borderline effect, but last night I listened to "Two divided by zero" and thought it was an absolutely marvellous song. When I first heard it I found the calculator voice a bit odd, but now I think it's something only the PSB could do this well.

Whatever happened to the good old sound effects?

Whatever happened to the good old sound effects?

Re: Whatever happened to the good old sound effects?