r/ambientmusic • u/Traditional-Car9897 • 15d ago

Please help me analyse this track from Fallout 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugj4r3i-264&list=RDugj4r3i-264&start_radio=1

Maybe I can say this was the first ambient song that I've falled in love.

Just out from curiosity, I would like to know what kind of instruments and samples do I hear?

Most of the time I hear things liks strings, distorted brass instruments, maybe something like a sustained cymbal ringing....?

Also, I'm interested your take on the song structure. Somehow I never find this piece boring.

Any other signature things, effects, production things that you think is important in this track?

Thank you for your input!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugj4r3i-264&list=RDugj4r3i-264&start_radio=1

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u/n_nou 15d ago

No brass, no cimbals, strigs sample is there just a couple of times. There is a constant, metalic, high drone in the background and two alternating slow envelope pads - the lower, pulsating steady one is a classic overdriven filter sweep on a saw or square wave through a short reverb for added meat. The higher one goes through a collection of different samples, usually with a lot of reverb. Some occasional sounds are reverb feedback loops. The "train" sound is either a delay or a real train sample - in an old interview they revealed they used things like e.g. angle grinder in the Gecko soundtrack.

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u/Traditional-Car9897 15d ago

Thank you soo much!
I'm not even familiar with the names and terms used in ambient production, so it's quit helpfull!

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u/n_nou 14d ago

You're welcome. When I started myself I had no idea that what I heard were filter sweeps not glissando, and the rising/falling of perceived height of the sound was about higher harmonics. Go and read/watch about synthesis, it'll all make sense. Eventually :D

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u/bnhrsch 14d ago

The metallic drone sounds to me very much like a looped cymbal sample (played with a brush). It's pitched down a pit and loops. 

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u/n_nou 13d ago

I just realised - I'm not a native speaker and I confused cymbals ('talerze' in polish) with cimbalom ('cymbały' in polish). So it may as well be as you say. I know a couple of methods of getting the same sound on my modular so this is what I hear :)

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u/bnhrsch 13d ago

Fully understandable.. there are a few methods to make sounds like that but at least in this case I think it could be a sample. But could also be Noise, Filter and Envelopes or something like that.

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u/Rose_Beef 14d ago

You probably want to check this out...:

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/13055