I would probably layer a pad with a compressed EP to get in my "close enough" ballpark. The pad I would have just slightly duck in response to the line being played (sidechain) for that drone-ish sound throughout. The pad part isn't an EP because it sustains too long but the notes with attack would be close enough with an EP.

[quotePost id=119444]
The basic "intro" sound is a Saw Wave, LP filtered down to almost a Sine Wave (giving it that piano-ey sound).

The Amp Envelope has no Attack time (Zero) , and a Quick Decay to around 60-70% Sustain Level, and a slow to medium Release... again giving it the piano-ey, Rhodes sound... bright and short Attack.

There's a little bit of Resonance on the Filter, just to give it a little punch, without using a Filter Envelope, the heavy lifting (at this stage) coming from the Amp Envelope.

The mono "Single Saw" was likely double tracked in the Studio, but you can save time by adding a Slow, Low Depth Chorus.

That's the rudiments.

I'll follow up with (as much as I've figured out) on the hard stuff... the increasing Modulations... which is why it's not as easy as some claim. [/quotePost]

Some of the words chosen... can't be a coincidence:

https://youtu.be/myU8gdt-Lzc?t=613

@Andrew.... common parlance. Yes that is one of the videos I have seen.

@Bill... You can set up separate Left and Right Oscillators (Elements)... but because of the MODX signal flow design, you'll have to tweak two of everything as you go along.

A Single Oscillator into a Chorus panned Left/Right is good enough for checking.

Another issue you might face, is that typically 2 oscillators from the same sound engine, can sound different than a "double tracked" recording, which is post-production done in the studio.

Noone can say for definite, but consensus seems to be it was the Mono Prophet 5 (Single Oscillator in play) double tracked.

Using Osc1 Left and Osc2 Right works to a degree, but you can end up with some phasing between Left and Right. While this sounds nice, it sounds different.

Just some side-note Trivia for anyone interested.

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien are known for their live "FX Manipulation" antics, creating the typical outlandish backdrops, particularly during instrumental sections of songs.

Everything In its Right Place appears to be no different.

With respect to the Keys, while the Timbre is quite sedate to begin with, it gets quite raucous towards the end. This may be a case of Greenwood/O'Brien manipulating the Synth controls, while Yorke continues to play the keyboard.

It's hard to pick apart exactly what is being changed and by how much. I have been experimenting with various ModMatrix settings to allow the player to modulate, without reaching for knobs e.g. with Velocity, Expression Pedal, ModWheel etc. Not easy.

Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead
Yamaha MODX7 Patch Build

Time Signature = 10/4
Tempo ~124 BPM
High C Drone Note = C3

Start with AWM2 INIT.

Part 1, Element 1 = "OB Saw"
Part 1, Common RevSend = 0
Keyboard Octave -1 (Allows play in Keyboard Centre)

Part 1, Element 1 - Amplitude

Level/Pan
Level/Vel = +10, Offset 0, Curve 2

Amp EG
Envelope Time/Level
Initial = NA/0
Attack = 0/127
Decay1 = 18/63
Decay2 = 91/32
Release = 86/NA

Part 1, Element 1 - Filter

Type
Filter Type = LPF24A
Cutoff = 164
Resonance = 25
Cutoff/Key = +81%

Filter EG
Envelope Time/Level
Hold = 0/0
Attack = 0/+127
Decay1 = 54/+29
Decay2 = 100/0
Release = 86/+0

FEG Depth = +12
Depth/Vel = +30

Element LFO
LFO Wave = Triangle
Speed = 3
Key On Reset = OFF
Delay = 0
Fade In = 0
Pitch Mod = 4
Filter Mod = 9
Amp Mod = 0

Part1, Common, Mod/Control, Control Assign

Display Filter = ModWheel

+ (Add) Destination 1 = FEG Depth
(Source = ModWheel)
Element Sw 1 = ON, 2 - 8 = OFF
Curve Type = Standard
Polarity = Uni
Ratio = +28
Param 1 = 5

Insert FX - Add Stereo Chorus to taste
System FX - Add Rev Send to taste.

I Will follow up with design notes.

Please build and try before slagging. 😉

Design Notes

"OB Saw" is a Factory Waveform. You may also try "P5 Saws" (various) but will likely need to adjust the rest of the parameters.

Rev Send = 0. It's easier to hear what you are doing with Reverb OFF.

Level/Vel = +10. Gives a slight increase in Level when played hard.

Regards Envelopes:-

* Decay2 Time (Amp and Filter EG) - Long Decay2 Time provides Natural Decay to Zero. This is to avoid "bottoming out" onto Flat Sustain Level (Sustain = Decay2 Level). You should never reach Sustain Level while playing. This is essential for convincing Piano Sound.

Attack + Decay1 provide a Bright Attack Transient.

Moderate Release Time - provides a natural Reverb (sound Decays after releasing key, notes don't get snipped off).

Regards Filter Cutoff/Key = 81% (Partial Key Tracking)
- This allows the lower bass notes to be a little brighter than if set at 100% Key Track. Adds to the "Fender Rhodes Feel".

Regards FEG Depth and Depth/Vel
- A quirk of many Analogue Synths and a little counter intuitive. FEG Depth = +12 represents the maximum Depth achieved with maximum Velocity (Key hit hard). The Depth/Vel = +30 sets the amount of reduction in Depth when Key is played softly (Low Velocity). I set this so that a Low Velocity produces an FEG Depth of about +6 (so less Envelope applied on low velocities).

The intro is played softly, the lyrics enter on the "Chorus", the keyboard is played harder, the Timbre gets Brighter, as the higher FEG Depth causes the Filter to "open up" a little more.

The Element LFO settings cause some subtle drift and instability (typical with Analogue Synths). Adjust to taste, or use Part LFO for more options.

The Modwheel Control Assign increases FEG Depth to around +30 with Wheel at full deflection. The increased FEG Depth brings the Resonance "Squelch" into play as the Filter is opened further, and therefore closes further. You'll hear this towards the end of the song. I suspect they are also tweaking Resonance at the same time. You can add Filter Resonance to the ModWheel also if you wish, but don't overcook it.

Experiment with Chorus to add the Left/Right Double Tracking. I use my Strymon Mobius for this in "MultiChorus" (aka TriChorus) mode. The Insert FX "Detune Chorus" is best option IMHO.

Reverb... the Release times of the Envelopes are adding a good dollop of "Natural" reverb on their own. If you want to add Reverb, I suggest keeping it subtle.

Hmmmm. Not many Radiohead fans I guess.

Perhaps if the Title said "Jazz Piano Patch" and didn't mention RH, there'd be folk all over it like a Cheap Suit.

Other Radiohead/MODX content (from Soundmondo):

zZoundsSound
https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/66216
This is a sound created using Smart Morph. It has a cool Radiohead vibe to it! Use the Smart Morph control to explore the variations.

Fake Plastic Trees
https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/52632
Radiohead song

S H Alien
https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/41174
Radiohead Subterranean Homesick Alien .2 scenes..not perfect.but fun to play

Myxomatosis
https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/41065
Split keyboard soundset for Radiohead's Myxomatosis. Super knob controls volume and timbre of the synth suspensions.

Thanks for morale support Jason 😉

Whether anyone reading this likes Radiohead or not, I think it is a good exercise of the MODX's "Subtractive Synth" abilities.

After 6 months "learning" Subtractive Synthesis on my Hydrasynth, it was good to come back to the MODX and apply what I've learned.

I think the MODX carried it off quite well, considering it was originally recorded on a "Holy Grail" synth... the Sequential Prophet 5.

From a technical perspective, for anyone interested, the "sound" is a showcase for Envelope Design, and also... Envelope Modulation (Modulating the Modulators). It's also proof for Doubting Thomas's (if it were needed) that the modelled Filters behave like the real thing. But then they'd have nothing to moan about 😉

You've somewhat successfully impersonated a synth designed in 1977 impersonating a Rhodes Piano of an earlier era, on a modern synth.

Good job!

Thank You Andrew 😀

Although I do sense a small seam of sarcasm.

Thom Yorke has been known to play this live on a Rhodes, although a Rhodes can't morph into the ending chaos of the Album Studio version... so instead they pile on the FX.

Give it a try... you'll "grok" on filtering a "Saw" down to a "Sine". 😉

[quotePost id=119635]

Give it a try... you'll "grok" on filtering a "Saw" down to a "Sine". ;)[/quotePost]

I'll have to consult Bill.

He'll find a link to post. No matter how tenuous.

https://youtu.be/eOIHri4Jr-g

Genius.