Awesome! A good follow-up video idea would be to discuss how many of those layers Rush incorporated into their live performances, and how New World Men approach it live as well. Thanks for the great video!
Awesome, Marc! Love Rush, and I love your tribute band. So good! I have an OB-X8 and I love it. The first sound I played on it was the Tom Sawyer rez sweep. It sounds AMAZING! Loving these videos. Thanks.
@@NewWorldMenBandyou confirmed that it's the same patch used for the strings in Freewill. The Limelight patch also sounds kinda similar. Geddy got good mileage out of that sound!
@@mattmckeon1688 Yes totally! Geddy used this patch a lot. The end of Limelight, the Intro to YYZ (with added phaser) or in the bridge part of YYZ as well (in the synth brass section) . The Camera Eye (when the main riff starts). Natural Science have some of it too... That's a ton finally... ;)
So glad I found your channel Marc. Very informative. I tried creating the growl sound on my Prophet 10 and surprisingly it does an outstanding job. but it's no match to the Oberheim. Do you own the latest OB-X8?? I've been teeter tottering on getting it but I think it might be overkill for my needs. How do you like the G-Force?? I own their Mellotron package and although it was pricey (for software) I am so sooo happy with it. Great company..Us keyboard players gotta stick together..LOL!! Subscribed. Cheers from Hamilton, Ontario!! Darrin
Hi Darrin! Yes, I had the chance to test drive the OB-X8 for a while, it sounds quite awesome! Compared it extensively to GForce's OB-X plugin, I must say it was dangerously close. Heck, sometimes, I preferred the plugin to the real machine (because of the onboard effects and presets). If you already own a Prophet (which is ALSO amazing!) I'd go for the plugin. You are in luck! GForce is having a black friday sale. £49.99 for OB-X, which is a no brainer to me... www.gforcesoftware.com/products/ob-x/ Enjoy!
Bonjour! Merci beaucoup pour les compliments. Mes laptops ne m'ont jamais failli sur scène! (HEUREUSEMENT!). Dans une ancienne vie, j'étais celui qui faisait le design des ordinateurs utilisés sur les spectacles du Cirque du Soleil en tournée. Disons que, j'ai "un peu" d'expérience en la matière, je travaille en amont! Je prépare mes machines AVANT le show pour m'assurer que tout roule rondement. Merci pour ta question!
Well, there's already many other folks showing how to craft those sounds with various synths, I wanted to keep this "high level" for the "non-synths" people. :) Maybe one day I'll nerd out!
@@NewWorldMenBand yes you should definitely nerd out! You seem like quite the authority on how these patches are constructed given you are in a tribute band!
J'adore! je me doutais qu'il y avait plusieurs couches de son mais essayer de les figurer c'est assez complexe quand même. Merci pour l'explication. Une autre question, ton contrôleur midi, c'est quel modèle?
hey, what happened to the band? where's the band playing the song, like in your last video... your drummer, Alex and Geddy gonna be giving him a call. He carries a fantastic interpretation!! love'in your the synth breakdown. top notch... would love to hear some of your sound sculpture stuff... great content, thank you!
The link for the band playing the full song is at the end of the video. I didn't want to bore people with tweaking knobs endlessly but I might try one day! Thanks!
Are you available at all to answer questions privately? I have the Arturia sound set also ( not sure if it has the OBX synth) but I struggle with how to set things up as I have a Roland Juno DS61, Little Phatty tribute, and Studiologic MPK117 midi pedals. Not in a Rush tribute but want to play some of their classics in a cover band I'm in here in the states. Would also love to learn how to create multi samples too and be able to map them to keys on the keyboard and then play them with my midi pedals etc. Any info shared would be done privately of course. Thank you so very much! Huge fan of New World Men btw. So wish you guys could play in the states as you would kill it for sure!
Superbe! When playing live, what is your rig? I assume that if you program these sounds with plugins, you must have a computer (laptop?) on stage. Do you use MainStage or Camelot or something like that to control multiple synths and keyboard splits? Thanks in advance.
Hi there, I didn't want to bore people with the nitty/gritty details of me turning buttons forever on video. :) There's many other videos on UA-cam showing you how to do it already.
@ thank you. I’ve tried following other tutorials but could never achieve the same results. Besides, your results are excellent. Can you please make oberheim patch available to download?
Fairly easy, set both Oscillators (1 & 2) on Saw Tooth (3rd position on the selector) and use 8' or 16' (depending on the octave you wanna use). Use the "OSCILLATOR-2" knob to fine tune your 2nd Oscillator to be "out of phase" with the first one (I mean, the closest you can bring them together). Tone down your filter and use a bit of glide and you are like 90% there. The rest is "Salt + Pepper" to taste. :) Have fun!
There’s a 5th sound…the wispy sound that a Taurus can make in the user preset mode…in the studio video I think Geddy actually played the pedals with his hands. But it gets left out of all the live versions of the song. Same sound as what was used in Xanadu under the lyrics “to seek the sacred river Alph…”
I'm thinking about Analog Kid! Then again, it's almost the same sounds that's in Subdivisions... Maybe one day! Jacob's Ladder would be nice indeed, I'll give it another listen!
Yes, I've been requested this several times, I might do a "Bass Tone Through The Years" type of video as it was suggested by a kind viewer. It's in the funnel! :)
@@RFT2112 Yes, why not? There's not many things to say on Hemispheres synth wise unfortunately... OB-1, Minimoog and Taurus, that's it. I know that there's also a bit of synth guitars thrown in for good measure! ;)
@NewWorldMenBand . You are absolutely correct. Thats more of a guitar based album. How bout something of of Permanent Waves, “Entre Nous”possibly, or Jacob’s Ladder?
@@NewWorldMenBand Wrote You above. I would buy an OB-X8 just so I can play Cygnus (Bringer Of Balance). Geddy singing along with that Oberheim is just pure gold.
@NewWorldMenBand Bof... certain que c'est 1 pet pour vous autres...loll mets-en que ca serait un grand honneur. Imagine un apres show en coulisse avec eux. Wow...👌 on vous le souhaite grandement que ca l' arrive 1 jours. En tout cas on prend nos vacances au Qc et si vous jouez dans ces dates ... on se voit au show cretain!. Cheers...🍻
Thanks Marc I am teaching myself to play the keys I now own 3 and trying to find the sounds I want. Love what you guys do I just wished I was close to you guys so I can see for myself. Keep doing what ya'll do best keeping RUSH alive. Thanks USA.
Oh yeah, the "problem" lies with the overlapping of the OB-X(a) releases... Release dates for OB-X (1979‑81) and OB-Xa (1981‑83) so, Moving Pictures was recorded in 1980, that can really be one or the other. I have to say that the newest OB-X8 board have the option to "Morph" into any of the 3 OB-X synths... I'd say OB-Xa, almost for sure... It has that sound... But I could be wrong! Hope this helps!
The synth sound in “Tom Sawyer” by Rush is famously attributed to the Oberheim OB-X, and there’s ample evidence to back this claim. Here’s a deeper dive into the full story, with supporting details: Timeline & Key Facts 1. Recording of “Tom Sawyer” (Late 1980): • Rush recorded Moving Pictures between October and November 1980 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. • During this time, Geddy Lee was heavily experimenting with synthesizers to complement the band’s progressive rock sound. The synthesizer riff in “Tom Sawyer” became one of the standout features of the track. 2. Release of the Oberheim OB-X (1979): • The OB-X was released in June 1979 and became widely adopted by musicians for its analog warmth and versatility. • By the time Rush began recording Moving Pictures, the OB-X was already well-established in studios and had been used by other prominent artists, such as Styx and Queen. 3. Release of the Oberheim OB-Xa (1981): • The OB-Xa, the OB-X’s successor, was released in 1981, after Rush had already recorded and released Moving Pictures (February 1981). • Because of its release date, it was impossible for the OB-Xa to have been used on “Tom Sawyer.” Proof That the OB-X Was Used 1. Geddy Lee’s Statements: • In multiple interviews, Geddy Lee has cited the Oberheim OB-X as his primary synthesizer during the Moving Pictures era. He specifically mentions using the OB-X for both “Tom Sawyer” and “Red Barchetta.” • Example: In a 1981 interview, Lee said, “The Oberheim OB-X really gave us the flexibility and the fatness we were looking for.” 2. Le Studio Equipment: • Le Studio, where Rush recorded, had an OB-X available in its inventory, which matched Lee’s live rig at the time. • Rush’s equipment list from the Moving Pictures era also shows the OB-X as one of Lee’s primary keyboards. 3. Live Performances from 1981: • During the Moving Pictures tour in 1981, Geddy Lee used an OB-X on stage to perform “Tom Sawyer.” Photos and video footage from the tour show the Oberheim prominently displayed in his keyboard rig. 4. OB-X’s Sound Characteristics: • The rich, soaring brass-like lead sound in “Tom Sawyer” is a hallmark of the OB-X. Its analog architecture allowed for the dynamic filtering and powerful polyphony heard in the song. • While the OB-Xa had similar capabilities, its sound was slightly different due to changes in its design (e.g., Curtis chips instead of discrete components), which wouldn’t have matched the tone of “Tom Sawyer.” Additional Context • Rush’s Shift Toward Synths: By the time of Moving Pictures, Rush had fully embraced synthesizers as an integral part of their sound. Geddy Lee’s choice of the OB-X was deliberate, as it provided the powerful analog tones necessary to compete with Alex Lifeson’s guitars in the mix. • Producer & Engineer Input: Producer Terry Brown and engineer Paul Northfield were instrumental in capturing the OB-X’s sound in the studio, giving it the clarity and presence that stands out in the mix. Legacy of the OB-X in “Tom Sawyer” The Oberheim OB-X remains synonymous with “Tom Sawyer” and the Moving Pictures album. Its iconic riff helped redefine what synthesizers could do in rock music, blending seamlessly with the band’s instrumentation while adding a futuristic, larger-than-life quality to their sound. This choice cemented the OB-X’s place in music history as a key contributor to one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
So cool to hear this all broken down. Thanks Marc!
You are the best Rush-Cover Band thinkable. Respect!
Love this kind of stuff. Keep em coming. 🙏🏼
Thanks for sharing
Liverpool uk
Thank you for sharing this, I love your band! Very informative.....
Awesome! A good follow-up video idea would be to discuss how many of those layers Rush incorporated into their live performances, and how New World Men approach it live as well. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks, that's a great idea!
Nice demo, thanks for making that.
Good stuff, very informative.
Wow! Je m'étais toujours demandé comment ils avaient produit ces sonorités. Merci Marc!
🎵🎶🎸
Keep making them Marc !!! 💯🎵🎶🎸
Thanks for sharing your expertise! Very interesting information!
You nailed it bro 😎!!!!
Bravo Marc, tes vidéos sont excellents!
Outstanding, Marc! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Marc....please keep making them..always fun to learn...
Very interesting; thank you for the breakdown.
Cheers Marc
Fantastic, Marc! See you all in BC 2025!
Looking forward to it! Thanks!
Hey Marc... nicely said! "Mtl,Canada"😂. Keep up the awesome work 👏 .
Mark from Hornepayne, Canada.😅😅 😅😅😅
Marc, as Bill and Ted would say. “EXCELLENT!!!!!” Really enjoy this !!!
Awesome, love it!
That was AWESOME! Thanks Marc.
Awesome, Marc! Love Rush, and I love your tribute band. So good! I have an OB-X8 and I love it. The first sound I played on it was the Tom Sawyer rez sweep. It sounds AMAZING! Loving these videos. Thanks.
Yes, I had to chance to test drive an OB-X8 for a while a few months back. It was quite stellar I must say!
Love it! Keep it up!
I"m a RUSH nerd, I love this
The string part is a low-key highlight of this song for me. The way it comes in behind the ascending bass & guitar part is a real moment.
I'm totally with you on this! It is the nice counterpoint melody that lifts the whole thing up!
How are you triggering that string part while you are playing the moog solo with your right hand?
@@NewWorldMenBandyou confirmed that it's the same patch used for the strings in Freewill. The Limelight patch also sounds kinda similar. Geddy got good mileage out of that sound!
@@mattmckeon1688 Yes totally! Geddy used this patch a lot. The end of Limelight, the Intro to YYZ (with added phaser) or in the bridge part of YYZ as well (in the synth brass section) . The Camera Eye (when the main riff starts). Natural Science have some of it too... That's a ton finally... ;)
@@skysavvydrone I sequenced it for the video, I couldn't play it all in one pass! (Though, I tried! ;) )
Cool video. As cool as the sweep sound is, my favorite of the four is the Moog lead sound. A perfect example of the Moog sound.
I love it! Marc are you running the soft synths on MainStage off stage?
No, I run them directly in Cubase, using a good old PC. :)
Love this stuff Marc great job thank you for this
So glad I found your channel Marc. Very informative. I tried creating the growl sound on my Prophet 10 and surprisingly it does an outstanding job. but it's no match to the Oberheim. Do you own the latest OB-X8?? I've been teeter tottering on getting it but I think it might be overkill for my needs. How do you like the G-Force?? I own their Mellotron package and although it was pricey (for software) I am so sooo happy with it. Great company..Us keyboard players gotta stick together..LOL!! Subscribed.
Cheers from Hamilton, Ontario!!
Darrin
Hi Darrin! Yes, I had the chance to test drive the OB-X8 for a while, it sounds quite awesome! Compared it extensively to GForce's OB-X plugin, I must say it was dangerously close. Heck, sometimes, I preferred the plugin to the real machine (because of the onboard effects and presets). If you already own a Prophet (which is ALSO amazing!) I'd go for the plugin. You are in luck! GForce is having a black friday sale. £49.99 for OB-X, which is a no brainer to me... www.gforcesoftware.com/products/ob-x/ Enjoy!
Would love to see you break down some of the sounds on Jacob’s Ladder and La Villa Strangiato. Peace.
Great video.
Beau travail Marc. Question: quand tu joues live est-ce que tu as un backup si jamais ton laptop te lâche ? Et est-ce que ça t’est déjà arrivé ?
Bonjour! Merci beaucoup pour les compliments. Mes laptops ne m'ont jamais failli sur scène! (HEUREUSEMENT!). Dans une ancienne vie, j'étais celui qui faisait le design des ordinateurs utilisés sur les spectacles du Cirque du Soleil en tournée. Disons que, j'ai "un peu" d'expérience en la matière, je travaille en amont! Je prépare mes machines AVANT le show pour m'assurer que tout roule rondement. Merci pour ta question!
Amazing.
excellent!
Would be lovely to learn how to create the actual sounds using the tools you are using!
Well, there's already many other folks showing how to craft those sounds with various synths, I wanted to keep this "high level" for the "non-synths" people. :) Maybe one day I'll nerd out!
@@NewWorldMenBand yes you should definitely nerd out! You seem like quite the authority on how these patches are constructed given you are in a tribute band!
J'adore! je me doutais qu'il y avait plusieurs couches de son mais essayer de les figurer c'est assez complexe quand même. Merci pour l'explication. Une autre question, ton contrôleur midi, c'est quel modèle?
Merci, mon contrôleur c"est le Arturia KeyLab 88 mkII.
Cool vid, love a bit of Taurus in the china shop.
Q- What is your favourite synth used on Grace Under Pressure?
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Good one! The PPG sounds in Red Sector A, I always loved!
hey, what happened to the band? where's the band playing the song, like in your last video... your drummer, Alex and Geddy gonna be giving him a call. He carries a fantastic interpretation!! love'in your the synth breakdown. top notch... would love to hear some of your sound sculpture stuff... great content, thank you!
The link for the band playing the full song is at the end of the video. I didn't want to bore people with tweaking knobs endlessly but I might try one day! Thanks!
2:53 NVIDIA must be Rush fans. 😃
Are you available at all to answer questions privately? I have the Arturia sound set also ( not sure if it has the OBX synth) but I struggle with how to set things up as I have a Roland Juno DS61, Little Phatty tribute, and Studiologic MPK117 midi pedals. Not in a Rush tribute but want to play some of their classics in a cover band I'm in here in the states. Would also love to learn how to create multi samples too and be able to map them to keys on the keyboard and then play them with my midi pedals etc. Any info shared would be done privately of course. Thank you so very much! Huge fan of New World Men btw. So wish you guys could play in the states as you would kill it for sure!
Superbe! When playing live, what is your rig? I assume that if you program these sounds with plugins, you must have a computer (laptop?) on stage. Do you use MainStage or Camelot or something like that to control multiple synths and keyboard splits? Thanks in advance.
@@wooliegeek Yes, that's exactly what I do, a simple laptop hooked via USB in our mixing board, easy peasy!
Nice video. Can you please go into detail as to how you created the patches for those who don’t know anything about synthesizers?
Hi there, I didn't want to bore people with the nitty/gritty details of me turning buttons forever on video. :) There's many other videos on UA-cam showing you how to do it already.
@ thank you. I’ve tried following other tutorials but could never achieve the same results. Besides, your results are excellent. Can you please make oberheim patch available to download?
Definitely curious about getting that lead sound from my Behringer Model D if you have the time
Fairly easy, set both Oscillators (1 & 2) on Saw Tooth (3rd position on the selector) and use 8' or 16' (depending on the octave you wanna use). Use the "OSCILLATOR-2" knob to fine tune your 2nd Oscillator to be "out of phase" with the first one (I mean, the closest you can bring them together). Tone down your filter and use a bit of glide and you are like 90% there. The rest is "Salt + Pepper" to taste. :) Have fun!
@NewWorldMenBand this is great though, I greatly appreciate it.
Come to Buffalo NY!
There’s a 5th sound…the wispy sound that a Taurus can make in the user preset mode…in the studio video I think Geddy actually played the pedals with his hands. But it gets left out of all the live versions of the song. Same sound as what was used in Xanadu under the lyrics “to seek the sacred river Alph…”
Nope, not present in the released studio mix, there is only 4. Isolated synths available here: ua-cam.com/video/HfqAQAbyaMg/v-deo.html
I'd like to know your take on Analog Kid angel choir and Jacob's Ladder interlude lead. All at once...
Ruuuuuush!
I'm thinking about Analog Kid! Then again, it's almost the same sounds that's in Subdivisions... Maybe one day! Jacob's Ladder would be nice indeed, I'll give it another listen!
Please do a Bass guitar setup and sound tutorial.
He put one out a couple of years ago.
Yes, I've been requested this several times, I might do a "Bass Tone Through The Years" type of video as it was suggested by a kind viewer. It's in the funnel! :)
Merci beaucoup eh
How about a Hemispheres breakdown?
@@RFT2112 Yes, why not? There's not many things to say on Hemispheres synth wise unfortunately... OB-1, Minimoog and Taurus, that's it. I know that there's also a bit of synth guitars thrown in for good measure! ;)
@NewWorldMenBand . You are absolutely correct. Thats more of a guitar based album. How bout something of of Permanent Waves, “Entre Nous”possibly, or Jacob’s Ladder?
@@NewWorldMenBand Wrote You above.
I would buy an OB-X8 just so I can play Cygnus (Bringer Of Balance). Geddy singing along with that Oberheim is just pure gold.
👏 👏 👏
Fuck. Yes.
Hey, I'd like to know if Alex Lifeson or Geddy Lee ever attended 1 of your shows?
Unfortunately, no. It would be an immense honor to play for these guys! (Though, quite nerve wracking! Hahaha) Cheers!
@NewWorldMenBand Bof... certain que c'est 1 pet pour vous autres...loll mets-en que ca serait un grand honneur. Imagine un apres show en coulisse avec eux. Wow...👌 on vous le souhaite grandement que ca l' arrive 1 jours. En tout cas on prend nos vacances au Qc et si vous jouez dans ces dates ... on se voit au show cretain!. Cheers...🍻
Contract SFN Podcast "Something For Nothing" A Rush Fan Podcast and do an interview!
I think we already might have done this one, some time ago...
Thanks Marc I am teaching myself to play the keys I now own 3 and trying to find the sounds I want. Love what you guys do I just wished I was close to you guys so I can see for myself. Keep doing what ya'll do best keeping RUSH alive. Thanks USA.
Classic discussion: OBX or OBX-a - Or is there a final verdict on that one :-)
Oh yeah, the "problem" lies with the overlapping of the OB-X(a) releases... Release dates for OB-X (1979‑81) and OB-Xa (1981‑83) so, Moving Pictures was recorded in 1980, that can really be one or the other. I have to say that the newest OB-X8 board have the option to "Morph" into any of the 3 OB-X synths... I'd say OB-Xa, almost for sure... It has that sound... But I could be wrong! Hope this helps!
The synth sound in “Tom Sawyer” by Rush is famously attributed to the Oberheim OB-X, and there’s ample evidence to back this claim. Here’s a deeper dive into the full story, with supporting details:
Timeline & Key Facts
1. Recording of “Tom Sawyer” (Late 1980):
• Rush recorded Moving Pictures between October and November 1980 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec.
• During this time, Geddy Lee was heavily experimenting with synthesizers to complement the band’s progressive rock sound. The synthesizer riff in “Tom Sawyer” became one of the standout features of the track.
2. Release of the Oberheim OB-X (1979):
• The OB-X was released in June 1979 and became widely adopted by musicians for its analog warmth and versatility.
• By the time Rush began recording Moving Pictures, the OB-X was already well-established in studios and had been used by other prominent artists, such as Styx and Queen.
3. Release of the Oberheim OB-Xa (1981):
• The OB-Xa, the OB-X’s successor, was released in 1981, after Rush had already recorded and released Moving Pictures (February 1981).
• Because of its release date, it was impossible for the OB-Xa to have been used on “Tom Sawyer.”
Proof That the OB-X Was Used
1. Geddy Lee’s Statements:
• In multiple interviews, Geddy Lee has cited the Oberheim OB-X as his primary synthesizer during the Moving Pictures era. He specifically mentions using the OB-X for both “Tom Sawyer” and “Red Barchetta.”
• Example: In a 1981 interview, Lee said, “The Oberheim OB-X really gave us the flexibility and the fatness we were looking for.”
2. Le Studio Equipment:
• Le Studio, where Rush recorded, had an OB-X available in its inventory, which matched Lee’s live rig at the time.
• Rush’s equipment list from the Moving Pictures era also shows the OB-X as one of Lee’s primary keyboards.
3. Live Performances from 1981:
• During the Moving Pictures tour in 1981, Geddy Lee used an OB-X on stage to perform “Tom Sawyer.” Photos and video footage from the tour show the Oberheim prominently displayed in his keyboard rig.
4. OB-X’s Sound Characteristics:
• The rich, soaring brass-like lead sound in “Tom Sawyer” is a hallmark of the OB-X. Its analog architecture allowed for the dynamic filtering and powerful polyphony heard in the song.
• While the OB-Xa had similar capabilities, its sound was slightly different due to changes in its design (e.g., Curtis chips instead of discrete components), which wouldn’t have matched the tone of “Tom Sawyer.”
Additional Context
• Rush’s Shift Toward Synths:
By the time of Moving Pictures, Rush had fully embraced synthesizers as an integral part of their sound. Geddy Lee’s choice of the OB-X was deliberate, as it provided the powerful analog tones necessary to compete with Alex Lifeson’s guitars in the mix.
• Producer & Engineer Input:
Producer Terry Brown and engineer Paul Northfield were instrumental in capturing the OB-X’s sound in the studio, giving it the clarity and presence that stands out in the mix.
Legacy of the OB-X in “Tom Sawyer”
The Oberheim OB-X remains synonymous with “Tom Sawyer” and the Moving Pictures album. Its iconic riff helped redefine what synthesizers could do in rock music, blending seamlessly with the band’s instrumentation while adding a futuristic, larger-than-life quality to their sound. This choice cemented the OB-X’s place in music history as a key contributor to one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
according to chatgpt… and my own experiece. i actually own the X… and had the Xa :-)
ua-cam.com/video/TcLvx9_UaN0/v-deo.htmlsi=Uth96y7QkhzPAAQF
however: the plug in sounds perfect as well 😅
Just FYI, it's not "moo-g" like a cow. It rhymes with "rogue" or "vogue".
Bob himself has stated that he has relatives who pronounce their last name as Moo-g, and that the pronunciation can go both ways.
@NewWorldMenBand No kidding? Nobody at the factory seems to think that.
My company used to call on them.
@@jackberlien8916 Well, don't take it from me, take it from the man himself... ua-cam.com/video/UDN-y0QQ7cs/v-deo.html
"How Geddy communicated to me that I was about to not like Rush anymore."