Electro-Harmonix Effectology, Vol.16 “Doctor Who”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7030eBlAZws

In 1963 Delia Derbyshire working for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop created one of the most significant and innovative pieces of electronic music, even before the availability of commercial synthesizers.
Starting with a score written by composer Ron Grainer, Delia created every note by cutting, splicing, speeding up and slowing down segments of analog tape recordings of plucked strings, white noise, and the simple harmonic waveforms of test-tone oscillators which were used for calibrating equipment and rooms, not creating music.
Below are pictures of Delia Derbyshire and the studios of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Our track starts with a Deluxe Memory Boy in full oscillation with the feedback at 100%.
A second track was recorded running the Deluxe Memory Boy through a Ring Thing while slowly lowering the pitch.

Below are the settings used for the bass and main melody sounds.
A second melody pass was added using the HOG`s upper octave sliders with a slow attack.

To recreate some of the white noise effects of the original Doctor Who theme, I harnessed the white noise generated

by a Big Muff distortion cranked full up.
Using a dummy plug to turn the unit on I routed the output to various effects.
I used a LPB-1 booster to help generate even more noise. This pedal is optional.

For outer space sounds I used a glass guitar slide, tapping the strings and processing it through a Ring Thing ring modulator and Stereo Memory Man delay.

For more information about Delia Derbyshire and the Doctor Who theme check out this great Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_theme_music

Thanks for watching!
Bill Ruppert

totally 1st reply! (besides you bill)

i really friggin liked that one

it was extremely complex. how did you even begin with that one!?!

Couldn’t find time to do a ring-thing dalek voice in there? 

Nice work, and way superior to the theme they’re using for the current series.

If anyone’s interested in more background on the 1963 version, wikipedia’s got a nice article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_who_theme

amazing as always Bill…. nice one.

...As soon as the melody kicks in, It just sent shivers down me spine.
The whole track is almost creepy, It’s like you just brought a dead woman back
to life. The whole track just breathes her soul, He creative mind ..etc.
Anyway, Great great work man. You have a awesome mind aswel.

Cheers.
Benny

Awesome, BUT… i’m kinda more interested in those spacey sounds before the actual Dr.Who theme… how did you do those?!

i just had to watch two more times

Thanks for watching and the great comments everybody.

friedjesseradio when I start something like this the first thing I do is deconstruct the music.
That means I listen to it over and over and try to isolate each part find what each part does to the overall sound.I make note of the key elements and start there.
From there I add in the supportive parts like noises ect.
Its funny as sometimes its a fight to get the track where you want it. But if you keep fighting it, you find it just sort of gives up and its there.

Bill

Benny it funny you say that as unintentionally I started recording this track on Delia`s birthday!
Bill

bennyvx78 - 27 May 2010 10:40 AM

...As soon as the melody kicks in, It just sent shivers down me spine.
The whole track is almost creepy, It’s like you just brought a dead woman back
to life. The whole track just breathes her soul, He creative mind ..etc.
Anyway, Great great work man. You have a awesome mind aswel.

Cheers.
Benny

Thanks man!
The space sounds before the bass kicks in is done on two tracks.
One is the Deluxe Memory Boy with the feedback control all the way up.
As it oscillates I lower increase the delay and the pitches go down like a ship landing.
The second pass used the Deluxe Memory Boy in oscillation but I left the delay knob up.
That constant noise was feed into a Ring Thing pedal in the pitch shift mode and I
slowly lowered the pitch or course knob.

I have to say I LOVE the Deluxe Memory Boy.
Its becoming a favorite of mine.

Bill

DarkAxel - 27 May 2010 12:30 PM

Awesome, BUT… i’m kinda more interested in those spacey sounds before the actual Dr.Who theme… how did you do those?!

bill ruppert - 27 May 2010 03:33 PM

Benny it funny you say that as unintentionally I started recording this track on Delia`s birthday!
Bill

bennyvx78 - 27 May 2010 10:40 AM

...As soon as the melody kicks in, It just sent shivers down me spine.
The whole track is almost creepy, It’s like you just brought a dead woman back
to life. The whole track just breathes her soul, He creative mind ..etc.
Anyway, Great great work man. You have a awesome mind aswel.

Cheers.
Benny

* Shame. Yeah’ I didn’t mean that litterly. I just have a way
of saying things.

Just shown my whole family!

Brilliant Bill, just brilliant.
:clap:

Hi,
referring to the first part( Deluxe Memory Boy through a Ring Thing)it’s possible to lowering slowly the pitch of the Ring Thing with the Exp pedal?

Yes you sure can.

LOOPMAN - 27 May 2010 11:24 PM

Hi,
referring to the first part( Deluxe Memory Boy through a Ring Thing)it’s possible to lowering slowly the pitch of the Ring Thing with the Exp pedal?

When I was a kid in the 60’s I counted every day until Batman came on TV. I have not waited so much for something, since then, until Bill’s videos came along. Thank you so much Bill for ALL your superb work on these Effectology clips. Pure Genius, Sir! I watch them over & over and always find new wonder. I very much appreciate how you always give the facts about the original sounds and their creators. Again, Bill, thanks so much for these Great clips.