Just discovered this recent interview to the music God MIKE OLFIELD, in which he explains he used an Amiga (no model specified, although he defined it (comparing to today standards, of course) as "primitive" (sic. Probably a 500 or 2000, as we are talking about 1989) and a "precursor to Notator" (Logic), to create those eclectic and very complex parts of that album (anyone who has heard it knows what I mean ;) ):

" Interviewer: Musician friends of mine continue to marvel at Amarok. They can’t understand how you made something that complex prior to Pro Tools or Logic.
And it was all hand-played as well.

Mike Oldfield: I used a very primitive sequencer and sampler that was a precursor to Notator, which became Logic. It was on a primitive computer called an Amiga. I would arrive every morning and plot something out in skeleton form, put it on the multitrack and say to Tom “Okay, we’re going to work on that. That’s the little sketch.” Everything on top of that sketch was hand-played. There were no synthesizers. Eventually, we threw away the sketch. That was the technique of working on it."

http://www.innerviews.org/inner/oldfield.html

Very happy and impressed to read that one of my all time favorites, with an impressive production ahead of its time, was possible thanks to an Amiga. Another landmark in our history!

@vision

Listening to the album now :P Good old Amiga !

Last edited by VoltureX on 15-Aug-2013 at 12:30 PM.

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@vision

Big fan of his and this is one of his best albums... cool to hear that an Amiga was involved.

A more recent example (2007) I heard about is Calvin Harris - most of his first Album was sequenced on a '1200.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/interview-calvin-harris-on-software-hardware-and-hit-making-530744

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Amarok has always been my favourite among Mike Oldfield albums. I hope he had a good fun using his Amiga

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Very interesting my precious, veery interesting!

But what does he means "primitive"? Yess, what does he mean?

@vision

Good found, thanks
I love Mike Oldfield music.

@Lazi

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@Lazi

Primitive in the sense of today standards but very innovative and useful Amiga.

I hope Mike could make an album with a new generation Amiga like the Sam460 or the Amiga One X1000.

I never been a fan or follow the Mike Oldfield's career.

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I'm probably ruining the party but I fear he mixes up Amiga and Atari:
http://tweakheadz.com/history-of-notator-and-logic/

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@Mazze

He didn't say that he used Notator but a precursor to Notator - which could have been any of the sequencers then available for the Amiga: most likely KCS or Music-X (whose notation editor was called Notator-X, by the way).

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@Trixie

Okey, party continues.

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@Mazze

By the way, few people know that even the mighty Steinberg made MIDI software for the Amiga back then. One of the precursors of Cubase - a sequencer called Pro-24 - had an Amiga version, too.

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@VoltureX

Hope you enjoy it! :) it is considered the "sequel" to Ommadawn. For me, his best album and one of the bests in the history of any kind of music (specially, because it contains all kind of music).

@newlight

Quote:

I hope Mike could make an album with a new generation Amiga like the Sam460 or the Amiga One X1000.

I kind of hope not.

"I then experiemented with music on a primitive computer called an AmigaOne X1000."

Last edited by Hypex on 16-Aug-2013 at 04:28 PM.

@thread

Since I am so much older than the rest of you I've never heard of Mike Olfield nor Amarok.

Will someone give me a link so I can listen to what you are all raving about.

Later:
Never mind, I just Googled his name and got a lot of links. I don't see any music links though.

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@Moxee
Quote:

Never mind, I just Googled his name and got a lot of links. I don't see any music links though.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Amarok+Full+Album/3SdtE7?src=5

@ExiE

Thanks I'll give it a listen tonight.

I just found this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S95DzFvele8 which has several of his albums.

I was just now listening to The Songs Of Distant Earth (full album). Only listened to 2 songs. Reminds me of Pink Floyd who I like. Is he really like that?

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@Moxee

You can't have missed out on Tubular Bells surely Mox

Obligatory Youtube clip

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@Trixie

I really think he used Creator on the Atari, because that's the precursor to Notator...

Mike Oldfield did use software from C-Lab: as told here

So no Amiga i'm afraid.

P.S. I used to play around a lot with Midi software on the Amiga in the late 80's. According to a well known TV presenter/Musician in Holland who did use Amiga's (Hi-Tec band) he was beta-testing Cubase for the Amiga, but apparently it never surfaced and I switched to Atari/Cubase for my Midi-needs (still used the Amiga for all other stuff!)

Last edited by borchen on 17-Aug-2013 at 10:56 AM.
Last edited by borchen on 17-Aug-2013 at 10:56 AM.
Last edited by borchen on 17-Aug-2013 at 10:55 AM.

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@borchen

And anyway: who would remember best what did he used during the Amarok recording sessions? you or him? ;)

@vision

+1

@thread

Thanks guys, I listened to several albums, including Amarok, and liked them all.

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