This is a longshot, but I'm trying to locate high quality audio clips from Spanish cathedral towers (and Moorish if possible), as well as parish bells. To be way too picky, a dominant around an F# would be nice (I understand you can't always hear the fundamental in bigger bells).
To be picky as well, the Moors had mosques with minarets from which people rather than bells called the faithful to worship. F# dominant would be B fundamental, so you want a baritone or bass muezzin. (sorry)
Thanks for the history lesson!
Yes, I'm looking for something as an intro for the bit of "Concierto De Aranjuez" that both Chick Corea and Miles have used. The phrygian second, thus the transition from F#M to GM, really defines the song. Corea plays it in B minor; don't know what key it was originally composed in. I'm good at evoking the bell fifth on my synth, but looking for something a bit more natural.
Here is where I am at with the piece (without any bell effects.
Pardon the echoey recording:
" Corea plays it in B minor; don't know what key it was originally composed in."
This score is sufficiently old to be authentic, and shows that the second movement for the guitar at least starts in B minor. (page 39). I don't know how you interpret wind instruments which have funny natural keys.
I spent quite some time on Sound Dogs searching for a good recording of a bell. I eventually fudged it enough to satisfy the director. I suspect bells fall into the same category as the sound of waterfalls.
London's Big Ben striking is readily available, but sounds too harsh for the job in hand. Perhaps if it were severely muffled (treble cut and or bass boost) it might get close.
I presume that it is particularly wanted for the repeated guitar B minor chords at the start of the work.
Oh and just a reminder, that the repeated strokes in a bell toll should have subtle differences in order to sound natural.
"Interesting discussion, Peter -- are you a pro musician?"
If you are asking me and not Pete Townsend, then very much "no".
I am a member of an amateur choir, some of whom cannot read music and many who are not able to play an instrument. We used to have a much loved accompanist who prepared rehearsal tapes for each voice part when we were learning a new piece, but sadly she died earlier this year. I am now preparing similar parts with the help of SmartScore, which converts written scores into MIDI and includes recognition of tempo and dynamics markings. Recognition mistakes have to be corrected and markings tweaked for best performance, but some mechanical nature is acceptable here, compared to what you are attempting.
(BTW, I did attempt to learn the classical guitar many years ago, hence my interest, but the list of reasons (excuses) for not continuing is too long to give so I will summarize and say lack of natural ability.)
My Motif XF8 has some tubular bell voices that sound pretty cool in a combination of F sharp & B flat. The bell is in the GM category, and is listed as Tubular Bell 1. I'm sure your synth has a GM category also.