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The settings Hans used to create the drums for Dune

This sound has kept me up at night since I heard it in 2021. I thought it was a Middle Estern Tabla (Specifically the variation in Dream of Arrakis).

I was mind blown when I knew it was Zebra. How is that even possible?

The rhythm is not right obviously and I'm working on the tone. But this isn't my first try yet I'm quite pleased with the progress I've made since I started messing around trying to recreate it years ago.
 

Attachments

  • Dune Drum.mp3
    551.6 KB
Pier said:
The first time I heard it (in the first movie) I immediately thought it was a pitched down darbouka/dumbek with some layers on top
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I can't agree more. The first time I heard the "antigroove" I also thought it could be a Darbuka. And it is very evident, the Arabic influences in the drum pattern. When I first tried recreating it I layered Darbuka on top of the synths.
 
AdamKmusic said:
To me it's always sounded like there's some piano layered in there, with real darabukas. I'm not convinced it's purely Zebra.
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In a video Hans mentioned they asked Urs to add more comb filters and resonators to Zebra. So maybe that's how they achieved it.

Or maybe indeed it's layered with samples.
 

Hans Zimmer's Dune soundtrack -- only using U-he Dark Zebra

DAW - Logic Pro X Every sound in this track was created within Dark Zebra. Used Logic EQ on some of the tracks and Izotope's Match EQ plugin on the master bus. If there is interest in the patches used in this track, please do let me know in this thread and I will try to collect them and make...
vi-control.net vi-control.net

@R. Naroth re-created a lot of sounds of Dune 1 in Dark Zebra! Free to download.

But yeah, my mind is blown to learn that that iconic drum hook is all zebra2
 
Hello...
I also gave a try on Zebra to create the "antigroove-drum-thing"....
Have a listen...it's definitely not close...but this is test 1...planning to keep doing more iterations...
let me know what all i can work on to go closer...
cheers...
 

Attachments

  • Dune sound test_1(mp3).mp3
    1.3 MB
VISFOTIKA said:
Yeah Sure. I am attaching the ZebraHZ presets and the MIDI file. If anyone is interested in my Cubase project feel free to download it from my drive link.
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Does anyone have a go with the presets? Hope we can improve the tone together.
 
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I have a feeling that the drum sounds would be easier to create with a synth like Reason's Objekt.

I plan on getting Objekt just for this sort of thing. What's cool about the Dune drums is that they sound ethnic without being "ethnic" so it gives the flavor of a culture without it actually being from that culture.

I've tried in Vein to do it with ZebraHZ and it's either so hard that I haven't reached it yet or not fully possible without the special ZebraHZ++ version that I'm sure by now HZ probably has given who he is. Or....more likely I just need to get better at it.
 
José Herring said:
I have a feeling that the drum sounds would be easier to create with a synth like Reason's Objekt.

I plan on getting Objekt just for this sort of thing. What's cool about the Dune drums is that they sound ethnic without being "ethnic" so it gives the flavor of a culture without it actually being from that culture.

I've tried in Vein to do it with ZebraHZ and it's either so hard that I haven't reached it yet or not fully possible without the special ZebraHZ++ version that I'm sure by now HZ probably has given who he is. Or....more likely I just need to get better at it.
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Chromaphone is also good for this sort of thing. There's a video where Richard Devine says he used it to make UI sounds for Google or something.

I've gotten good results with the comb filters in Zebra 2 vanilla to create stuff that reminds of talking drums, bongos, etc. This is a preset from my next soundset:



Obviously on its own it doesn't stand a chance... but if you hit the right notes/velocity in a mix it does get an acoustic instrument vibe.

Edit:

BTW this is not a proper demo. Just me banging randomly on my midi keyboard.
 
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Pier said:
Chromaphone is also good for this sort of thing. There's a video where Richard Devine says he used it to make UI sounds for Google or something.

I've gotten good results with the comb filters in Zebra 2 vanilla to create stuff that reminds of talking drums, bongos, etc. This is a preset from my next soundset:



Obviously on its own it doesn't stand a chance... but if you hit the right notes/velocity in a mix it does get an acoustic instrument vibe.
Click to expand...


Need this
 
I made this a week or so ago and for the percussion I used Reason's Objekt. It can make realistic yet synthetic sounding percussion that sounds great.

 
i Have downloaded the session provided... i am going to tweak the sounds even more ;)

i have been browzing the HZ zebra presets that i have from howard scar URS and hans zimmer..and ive been able to identify some percussion sounds by going to initial presets..and i also honed in on that resonant and top end tone.. I will keep you all updated on the progress. I can assure you that hans uses Zebra HZ exclusively to create these sounds.

Combined with processing and eq and probably a few layers of the synth. He is pretty fanatical about using that and from what i know, he may have layered another drum in there that was reall? Im not sure.
In any case i know he works directly with U-HE every time and in this interview he specifically mentions that he designed those drums electronically. (Vanity Fair sound of Dune HZ Interview) from Dune Part 1

I have some good news though, I've been tooling around with the ZebraHZ and i've been able to go through some of the sounds. And i will be able to tweak this much closer and with i THINK somewhat the exact modules he was using more or less. Now....hopefully i can deliver on our expectations ;). keep you all posted. And will provide everything afterwords.
 
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Zydlar said:
Hello, just a confirmation from one's of HZ's working mate. This is pure Zebra and nothing more!
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Something I’ve been wondering: is the rhythm programmed into the patch itself through MSEGs and whatnot, or is the patch just a single hit which has been programmed in the piano roll?
 
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