What is that instrument?

[discorecordplayer]

Ive always wondered, what is that sound that is in so many disco songs? Its sort of a "lazer" sound and its real cool, and virtually only found in disco songs

examples:

Love and Desire
Aint no stoppin us now
Disco Mickey Mouse

I could site many more examples, of course. Im just wondering what this instument is, as silly as this question might sound to some.

[ol'skinflint]

Ive always wondered, what is that sound that is in so many disco songs? Its sort of a "lazer" sound and its real cool, and virtually only found in disco songs

examples:

Love and Desire
Aint no stoppin us now
Disco Mickey Mouse

I could site many more examples, of course. Im just wondering what this instument is, as silly as this question might sound to some.

I know exactly what you're referring to, but I don't know what the name of it is. In fact I'm not 100% sure it's a musical instrument, it sounds more like a sampled sound effect. I never really liked it much, I think it adds a gimmicky effect to music, but even though I agree with you that it was common to disco, it wasn't exclusive. In fact, that sound was prominently featured (and in my opinion, ruined) one of my favorite musical odes to New York, a song called "Central Park 'n West" by Ian Hunter. It sounds like it was sampled from a game of Pac Man or Space Invaders.....

[Disco Funk]

Are you guys referring to those synth drums? The ones heard in Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now when the song breaks down and there's just the clapping and them singing 'no stoppin'. I think those were electronic synth drums. I don't know if they were built the same way as the kind Moroder used on his tracks or the ones you hear on Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express.

Disco Funk

[BrunoRepublic]

Sampling didn't exist back then.

If the sound you are referring is the one in the break of "Love and Desire", it can be done on most analog synths. Simmons drums used something similar for their tom sound. But "Love and Desire" is definitely a synth of some sort.

Set the filter to self-oscillation, apply a bit of env depth with a fast attack, short decay, and no sustain.

It hasn't been used much since because the novelty wore off, and most people found it really cheesy... and still do.

[Thereza bizarre]

What you are referring to is called "syn drum" made by an american company and i feel it is not a great sound for a simulated tom tom (as it was meant to be).
Sampling became available in 1979 on the fairlight cmi. created by kim ryrie and peter vogel in australia, and obviously would have a more organic sound, try Kate bushes "all we ever look for" one of the first songs songs to use entirely sampled "real world sounds" from the "never for ever" album 1980, that will give an idea of the difference....the "syn drum" was a drum set per say, and it was controlled by analogue voltage pitch etc, and very simple with no frills at all youwould have to apply outboard effects such as reverb etc to get any "depth" at all if such a thing is possible with "syn drum" a sthe bee gees said in a 1985 interview "we hated it, it sounded like beow oh we got him, and another one as it sounded like a very tacky simlistic laser sound" simmons are entirely different as they use hybrid analogue/digital technology (mostly analogue to begin with) to make the sounds from what is known as a "brain" i have the simmons sds 2 kit and it is more sophisticated as such and made more modern sounds (for the time).

[discorecordplayer]

Well, I appreciate allt he comments. But as a defender of disco, I must stand up for this sound, as it is truly an intergal part of most disco music. So although you guys might think its cheesy, I just want to add that Ive always liked it myself :icon_mrgreen: Anyway, now that I know what it is called, I did a little google search and found some pictures of these:
Deep House Page Forums: Syn Drums..
By the way, since I mentioned it, what do you guys think of that Disco Mickey Mouse album anyway?:icon_biggrin:

[wever]

i think I need to hear disco mickey mouse and love and desire to know what sound it is.... cause i'm not sure about it....
i found this lookinf for it in youtube ---> YouTube - Amdek Drum Synth

but i can't hear it in "ain't no stoppin us now" ....if I played loud i just can get up from my seat and start to dance hahahahaha:icon_mrgreen:

[discorecordplayer]

Oh, well its in a lot more songs than those. Heres some others:

SECOND TIME AROUND

RING MY BELL

FLY ME ON THE WINGS OF LOVE (CELI BEE)

[garrybcoston]

Is that the same sound you hear at the beginning of Simon Orchestra's Love (is comin on), just before they begin the "hey hey's" you hear about four bars of a laser type sound shooting out.