CS-80 Chorus question
2005-05-12 by oasysfan2
Greetings. This is my second post to the group. I've been lurking a while, and enjoyed reading every post from the beginning. I'm impressed by the knowledge and experience represented here. I don't have a CS-80 and only touched one once in a music store in Plymouth, Michigan. I've been in awe of the CS-80 ever since hearing the first UK album. Who would't be? I never studied how the synth was laid out or why it was so expressive. It was more of an icon in my mind. Ironically, it was the CS-80V softsynth that piqued my curiousity to learn more about the original. I'm not an electronics guy like old crow, David R., and others here, but I am fascinated by the design decisions of the orginal engineers. I've been curious about a particular CS-80 sound that I'd like to ask about. I posted a short mp3 in the files section: CS80_Chorus_Studio.mp3. It's the last part of the "Alaska" intro. At 0:16 you can hear chorus being switched on. I believe Eddie Jobson ran his CS-80 through a Roland RE-301 or RE-501 Chorus Echo. My question: Is this the CS-80 chorus or the Roland chorus being engaged? My theroy: The entire "Alaska" intro is run thru the Roland Chorus Echo with its chorus on. And the sound at 0:16 is the CS-80 chorus being engaged. Another curiousity is the subtle major third interval that comes through at 0:14. It sounds like filter resonance, doesn't it? But how is he doing it? I would guess he's tweaking the filter resonance lever (next to the initial pitchbend lever), but both hands are on the keyboard at this point. I've always been curious about this. Anyway, thanks for hearing me out and for your insight. -bart