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Hoover sound
 
 
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Hoover sound refers to a particular synthesizer
Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequency....
 sound in electronic music
Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology....
, commonly used in Hard House music and other styles. Originally called the "Mentasm" or "Reese", the name that stuck was the one likening the sound to that of a vacuum cleaner.

Overview
The Hoover is a complex waveform
Waveform

Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a solid, liquid or gaseous medium.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form....
 that can be created with three oscillators, each spaced an octave apart, a heavy use of Pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation

Pulse-width modulation of a Signalling or Power source involves the modulation of its duty cycle, to either convey information over a communications channel or control the amount of power sent to a load....
 and a thick Chorus effect
Chorus effect

A chorus effect is:* A condition in the way people perceive similar sounds coming from multiple sources.* A simulation of this effect created by signal processing equipment....
.






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Encyclopedia


Hoover sound refers to a particular synthesizer
Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequency....
 sound in electronic music
Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology....
, commonly used in Hard House music and other styles. Originally called the "Mentasm" or "Reese", the name that stuck was the one likening the sound to that of a vacuum cleaner.

Overview


The Hoover is a complex waveform
Waveform

Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a solid, liquid or gaseous medium.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form....
 that can be created with three oscillators, each spaced an octave apart, a heavy use of Pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation

Pulse-width modulation of a Signalling or Power source involves the modulation of its duty cycle, to either convey information over a communications channel or control the amount of power sent to a load....
 and a thick Chorus effect
Chorus effect

A chorus effect is:* A condition in the way people perceive similar sounds coming from multiple sources.* A simulation of this effect created by signal processing equipment....
. The sound is characterised by its thick swirliness that stems from a fast LFO controlling the PWM and the chorus.

It is traditionally created with the Roland
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 Alpha Juno-2
Roland Alpha Juno

The Roland Alpha Juno series of keyboards were analog polyphonic synthesizers with Digitally-controlled oscillator manufactured by Roland Corporation in 1985....
 synthesizer using the WhatThe? patch
Patch (synthesizer)

A patch, in terms of music synthesizers, is a sound setting. For example, a synthesizer may have patches for a piano sound, a guitar sound, etc....
. Most hoover sounds are generated on this synthesizer as it uses a unique method of PWM, splitting the wave into 4 segments and separately modulating their widths. Where a Juno-2 is not available, Hoover sounds are sometimes produced by using samples
Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an musical instrument or a different sound recording of a song....
 of Alpha Juno-2 Hoovers and Granular synthesis
Granular synthesis

Granular synthesis is a basic sound synthesis method that operates on the microsound Time scale . It is often based on the same principles as sampling but often includes analog signal technology....
 on these samples. The Hoover has become somewhat of a fetishized item in certain circles of music production (not unlike the sound of the Roland TB-303
Roland TB-303

The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in music sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation from 1982 to 1984 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music....
).

The hoover sound is believed to first have appeared in a commercial production in 'Second Phase - Mentasm', produced by a collaboration between Joey Beltram
Joey Beltram

Joey Beltram is an American DJ and record producer, best-known for the pioneering house music recordings Energy Flash and Mentasm.Mentasm, coproduced with Mundo Muzique, became iconic within rave party culture, as it was the track that gave birth to the "mentasm riff" : a churning, dirgelike synth pattern that wormed into techn...
 and Mundo Muzique, and sometimes is referred to as a mentasm. However, mentasm normally refers to the sound sampled from this tune and re-used.

The most famous record using a hoover sound is arguably Dominator by Dutch techno pioneers Human Resource. This track gained fame in 1991 and became a top 10 hit worldwide. Characteristic for this track was not only the Hoover, but also the over the top rap: "I'm bigger and bolder and rougher and tougher, in other words sucker there is no other... I'm the one and only dominator.. Wanna kiss myself!"

Example


This is what a basic hoover sounds like:

Hoover replacements


Although the original hoover sound was created with a Roland Alpha Juno2 there are several replacements to choose from that include, but are certainly not limited to, the Alpha Juno 1, Alpha Juno 2, MKS-50 (Rack version of the Alpha Junos), and the JP-8000
Roland JP-8000

The Roland JP-8000 is an analog modeling synthesizer released by the Roland Corporation in 1997....
. The new Roland Juno G has a few presets that feature the Hoover sound.

VST instruments

Virtual Studio Technology
Virtual Studio Technology

Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software Sound_recording_and_reproduction synthesizer and audio effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems....
 instruments can create similar sounds. Here is a selection of them:

  • Pro-Sounds PS-1
  • Audjoo Helix
  • JBM Hoovermaker
  • JxPlugins JX220
  • Lennar Digital's Sylenth1
  • Native Instrument's Massive
  • Reaktor using the Staubsauger ensemble
  • reFX JunoX2
  • reFX Vanguard
  • Rob Papen's Predator
  • Tone2 FireBird
  • Tone2 Gladiator


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