After recently aquiring a Korg MS2000B I decided to put this incredibly versatile
anologue synth to the test on the Doctor Who theme. I was never entirely happy with
my previous mix (Undisclosed) so this was the perfect opportunity to start afresh
(almost). This is still Oddsprite does Confidential, but with much more of a Howell
feel to it than the last mix.

Some of the elements in this mix remain unchanged from the original however. These
are: the arpeggio running throughout (the bell type sound), the throbbing bassline
at the beginning, the bridge section main sound and the synth pads throughout.
Everything else has been re-recorded using either the MS2000B or the CS1x (for the
classical instruments and drums).

The main section was created using a sinewave basis with some filtering and was
recorded in two parts to achieve the singing fadeout as in the Howell theme. The
second section was created using the MS2000B’s built in vocoder. I decided to make
this sound more human that in the Howell theme, and as such does sound quite like
someone singing. I decided to stick with the original bridge sound since the second
attempt wasn’t an improvement over the original.

The bassline was the main challenge. It sounds similar to the Howell original, but
as Hardwire indicated previously it’s incredibly difficult to recreate such a unique
sound. I ended up cannibalising a sound from the CS1x, replicating it on the
MS2000B, added filters and a small amount of ring modulation. This combined with a
harsh metallic sting sound at the beginning of every bass section created the bass.
Two new drum tracks were also added, this is especially evident just after the
introduction. Thanks to Danny Stewart for help with the bassline.

NOTE: What is posted here is a reduced version, the full mix (about 6-7 minutes)
will be available on my website.

Thanks again and hope you enjoy it!

Oddsprite