Samples used by Akira Yamaoka

[Revelations of the Past]

^ Damn, nice catch! These are actually from Fear Vol. 2 "Pod". If you run across vol. 1, let me know. I've been looking for it for a while!

I'm not sure if this one was mentioned before (probably was), but it's a sample that plays early on in the SH3 mall area; In the room where Heather gets the key with the tongs, I believe: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8DIVDZN0 It's originally from Zero G/Cuckooland's "Asylum", and I believe it was also included in the Altered States release.

This was also used in SH2 twice, in the tracks "Strange Decor" and "In Hiding" (that's what they're called in one of the expanded soundtracks).

[VIVIsect]

Found the Float Up From Dream pad (I believe it was also used on Breeze - In Monochrome Night). It's taken from the EastWest/BT library Twisted Textures. I'm sure there's more material from this library that Yamaoka used, but I haven't had time to go through it all, yet.

Here's the sample: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XP5ILH45

With all the new stuff that's been discovered, I'll most likely do one more big update to the main file on page one. It'd be nice to keep everything neatly compiled. Expect the update within the next few days.

EDIT:

Also found the weird guitar-like sample from Breeze - In Monochrome Night. Been looking for this one for-fucking-ever.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3LKKZJUY

[Diego_Reynoso]

VIVI, again, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS!!! I've been searching in the library you mention (Twisted Textures) and here's what i've found so far:

Sample: 96 Deep Up Echoplex Esemble
Song: Real Solution from SH: Origins.

Sample: 11 Bansurii Reverse Deep Stillness
Song: Real Solution from SH: Origins.

This one i'm pretty sure it's a song from SH1, 20 Breathing Broken Tension Orchestra.
I just can't remember the name, it's even used in the movie when everybody is running towards the church but i might be wrong...

I'll start searching in the Big Fish Audio library.

THANKS AGAIN!

EDIT: I think that i found the song i was talking about, is called "I'll Kill You".

[VIVIsect]

^ No problem. The main pad used on Dance With Night Wind is from Twisted Textures as well ("43 A Moment"). Yamaoka sampled a portion of it, looped it, and played it in a lower key.

EDIT:

As an added bonus, one of the samples on Massive Attack's "Teardrop" is also from this library. Cool beans.

[JamesOther]

thanks a lot for these infos, i really thought he made everything by himself but this shows that you cannot always do everything as a human on your own. this would take a long time to make everything himself, he has to study sound design, walk around, record things and so on.

i got some questions:

1. what keyboard did he use or a real piano? and did he play them by himself?
for examples in "Breeze" at 1:32 mins

2. i cannot find those libraries at all, i checked all big stores and the websites of the developers like EastWest and so on but many seem to be discontinued and i dunno where you got yours, please it would be great if you could help me find those! the best is where you can pay with paypal as i dont have a credit card .

- Nu Skool by EastWest
- Spatial Awareness by EastWest
- Broken Beats by SampleLab
- Sony Hip-Hop sample collection
- Sonic Foundry Pandora's Tool Box
- Titanium Rhythm Industrial Percussion 1 & 2

[Diego_Reynoso]

i got some questions:

1. what keyboard did he use or a real piano? and did he play them by himself?
for examples in "Breeze" at 1:32 mins

2. i cannot find those libraries at all, i checked all big stores and the websites of the developers like EastWest and so on but many seem to be discontinued and i dunno where you got yours, please it would be great if you could help me find those! the best is where you can pay with paypal as i dont have a credit card .

- Nu Skool by EastWest
- Spatial Awareness by EastWest
- Broken Beats by SampleLab
- Sony Hip-Hop sample collection
- Sonic Foundry Pandora's Tool Box
- Titanium Rhythm Industrial Percussion 1 & 2

Hi there James, well let's see:

1. - Most of the pianos i can bet are played by Yamaoka himself, he used to program all his stuff in Logic Pro, i don't know if he uses Logic these days, but certainly you can find those kind of Pianos in Logic.

2. - Check your inbox

[JamesOther]

ahhh another question, i saw that some old libraries seem only to have AKAI, i have windows and is there a free program which could convert the AKAI files to WAV?

[VIVIsect]

I use CDXtract. You can download a free demo from their website: http://www.soundlib.com/cdxtract/ It will allow you to export .wav files. If buy a fully functioning version, it'll also allow you to export the patch files in various sampler formats, which is really nice.

[Wigeke]

God this is my favourite thread from now on. Thanks alot VIVIsect and everybody else!

[Badass Cyborg]

Here's what I unearthed in EastWest/BT's Twisted Textures (I snagged an AKAI copy, so apologies if some of these have been mentioned before under their WAV filenames):

- HRMONICLVR plays throughout Lost Truth (first instance at 0:49)

- BANSURIIRV plays from 0:29 - 0:59 in Real Solution

- THALTERINA plays repeatedly from 0:59 onwards in Real Solution

- THNDOFDKNS plays (at a lower pitch) throughout the SH3 Missionary Battle BGM

- EXPANSION plays throughout Breeze - in Monochrome Night

- SEAOFFAITH plays (at a lower pitch) from 1:58 onwards in Waverer

- OPUS I plays from 1:02 - 1:34 in Lost Truth and plays intermittently throughout Blackest Friday

- 3RDORDRSTR plays (at a variety of pitches) throughout Float Up from Dream

- DEEPUP plays from 1:27 - 1:56 in Real Solution

- MASSIVETRK plays throughout the SH3 Ranking Screen BGM (first instance at 0:14); it's also worth noting, as VIVIsect pointed out earlier, that this sample actually originates from the very end of Massive Attack's Teardrop

- SOLAR LOVE appears, rather curiously, to be a shortened, loopable version of 'To Burble & Pine' from the elusive sample library 'Pandora's Toolbox', which was used in Battle Drums

[VIVIsect]

Did you, by chance, get the AKAI copy over at A****Z.info? Heh, I actually requested it so I could easily convert it into a Reason Refill. Someone was kind enough to post it.

I'm fairly certain the MASSIVETRK sample originates from this library, and that Massive Attack sampled it. I could be wrong, though. Also, about the Ranking Screen music, the beat in that track is from Zero-G's Return to Planet of the Breaks. It's a variation of the Breeze - In Monochrome Night beat.

I'm pretty much done compiling all this stuff into one big update. I'll try to post it this weekend.

Oh, and Badass, do you have any idea as to which track DRAGONAIR is used on? It may not be a Yamaoka track, but I know it from somewhere. Can't put my finger on it... I'm also pretty sure DARKNESS was used as well.

[Badass Cyborg]

Did you, by chance, get the AKAI copy over at A****Z.info? Heh, I actually requested it so I could easily convert it into a Reason Refill. Someone was kind enough to post it.

I certainly did. I'm an AZ regular, and since the WAV copy set sail before I was able to board, I suppose I should be thanking you for providing me with another chance to obtain it (in a more convenient format, too). So... many thanks!

I'm fairly certain the MASSIVETRK sample originates from this library, and that Massive Attack sampled it.

That was my initial thought... but then I noticed the name of the sample -- 'MASSIVETRK' -- or "Massive Track", as it were. Now, this could be purely coincidental, but it seems more likely that the library compiler attributed that name to it because of the source: "Massive Attack track" becomes "MASSIVETRK" for the sake of AKAI's labelling format. Of course, this would have been far easier to deduce if some kind soul had simply named the sample "TEARDROP".

Also, about the Ranking Screen music, the beat in that track is from Zero-G's Return to Planet of the Breaks. It's a variation of the Breeze - In Monochrome Night beat.

I didn't catch this one, so well done to you, sir!

Oh, and Badass, do you have any idea as to which track DRAGONAIR is used on? It may not be a Yamaoka track, but I know it from somewhere. Can't put my finger on it... I'm also pretty sure DARKNESS was used as well.

'DRAGONAIR' sounds very familiar. I thought that it might have been the BGM used for the SH2's Historical Society/Toluca Prison, but I compared the two under various different pitches and they simply don't match, so at this time I sincerely do not know. No clue on 'DARKNESS' either, I'm afraid.

I should point out, though, that since I began investigating these audio libraries (Spectrasonics, EastWest, Zero-G, etc), I've discovered many, many samples that I've recognised from pieces by other composers (Sean Callery, Graeme Norgate, Crush 40, etc.), so it's really not uncommon to try and place a sample in Yamaoka's work, only to find that it was actually utilised by a completely different artist altogether.

[VIVIsect]

I'm fairly certain the MASSIVETRK sample originates from this library, and that Massive Attack sampled it.

That was my initial thought... but then I noticed the name of the sample -- 'MASSIVETRK' -- or "Massive Track", as it were. Now, this could be purely coincidental, but it seems more likely that the library compiler attributed that name to it because of the source: "Massive Attack track" becomes "MASSIVETRK" for the sake of AKAI's labelling format. Of course, this would have been far easier to deduce if some kind soul had simply named the sample "TEARDROP".

I'm thinking that perhaps this sample, much like the one that also appears on the Pandora's Toolbox library, is an older sample that was re-released on this collection. Perhaps it was renamed "MASSIVETRK" after being notably used by Massive Attack? The main reason I'm thinking this is that BT (the man responsible for this library and "Breakz From The Nu Skool") is apparently very well known for being a... "hardcore" sound designer; creating everything used in his own music from scratch. No "lifted" samples or presets. With his reputation, it's hard to imagine him simply sampling Massive Attack and sticking it on a sample library. But, like I said, who knows?

Also, about the Ranking Screen music, the beat in that track is from Zero-G's Return to Planet of the Breaks. It's a variation of the Breeze - In Monochrome Night beat.

I didn't catch this one, so well done to you, sir!

I never would have caught it had I not used the same beat while playing around in Reason. I knew it sounded familiar, but it took me a while to place it.

'DRAGONAIR' sounds very familiar. I thought that it might have been the BGM used for the SH2's Historical Society/Toluca Prison, but I compared the two under various different pitches and they simply don't match, so at this time I sincerely do not know. No clue on 'DARKNESS' either, I'm afraid.

Man, that DRAGONAIR sample is going to drive me crazy. I know it from somewhere... I'm going to obsess over it until I can finally place it! Haha.

[VIVIsect]

*Please excuse the double post.

Massive update added to the first page! I'm certain that I've missed a few samples here and there (mostly from Altered States), but most of what has been mentioned in this thread has been added. Also, there may be a few surprises added that have not been mentioned yet (such as the Room of Angel opening).

Again, thanks to those of you who contributed in the hunt. I can say, without a doubt, that we've built the most comprehensive and definitive collection of audio samples used by Akira Yamaoka. There's still a few out there, but we've got a lot of 'em!

Also, I've changed the name of this thread for a more accurate description.

[Badass Cyborg]

A little extension on your recent Alien Guitars discoveries, VIVIsect:

- BELIEVER1 is used in the BGM that plays towards the end of SH3's Construction Site

- The looped section of BETA BLOCK plays intermittently in Monster Daddy (first instance at 0:10)

[JAGTxelUM]

OMG! You guys are amazing! One of the best SH topics ever!

Btw, does anybody know if SH2's "Theme of Laura" is Yamaoka's original creation?

Please keep up the great investigation, I'm amazed

[Diego_Reynoso]

Btw, does anybody know if SH2's "Theme of Laura" is Yamaoka's original creation?

Please keep up the great investigation, I'm amazed

What do you mean by "original creation"? Using loops or samples from libraries in your songs doesn't make them "non-original" creations.

Most of the "strong" songs in the soundtracks, like Theme of Laura, Promise or any of the vocal ones are indeed programmed by Yamaoka himself, he may be using some samples from libraries (for example the pad of Room of Angel you can find in the last update) but i can bet all the drumming is programmed by himself while guitars, basses and synths or keyboards are also played by himself.

[JAGTxelUM]

What do you mean by "original creation"? Using loops or samples from libraries in your songs doesn't make them "non-original" creations.

Whoever said the contrary?, please don't put words into my mouth.

And please allow people who really know about this to answer my question, because you didn't, you just guessed with your "...he may be using...", "...I can bet...". So stop wasting my time ok? Thank you.

[Diego_Reynoso]

What do you mean by "original creation"? Using loops or samples from libraries in your songs doesn't make them "non-original" creations.

And please allow people who really know about this to answer my question, because you didn't, you just guessed with your "...he may be using...", "...I can bet...". So stop wasting my time ok? Thank you.

Ooook... That's what you get when you try to be polite and help others... Anyway, good luck on your research! And keep those manners my friend!

[JAGTxelUM]

If that's your definition of "polite" then we definitely don't share concepts.

Anyway, good luck on your research!

Thanks.

And keep those manners my friend!

I will.