Orchestra Hit - History

History

Use of short samples (such as the orchestra hit) became popular in the early 1980s with the advent of digital samplers. These devices allowed sounds to be replayed at specific times and at regular intervals by sequencing, which was extremely difficult through previous methods of tape splicing. Samplers also began to allow sections of audio to be edited and played by a keyboard controller.

The orchestra hit was popularised in Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" (1982) and used soon after in Kate Bush's "The Dreaming". Other examples of use in popular music include En Vogue's "Hold On" (1990) and Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" (1985). Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (1983) used an orchestra hit which was possibly sampled from Kool and the Gang's "Celebration". By the mid 1980s, the orchestra hit had become commonplace in hip hop music, and its ubiquitous use became a cliché. Use in other genres extends to jazz funk, where it was used on the title track of Miles Davis's 1986 album Tutu. By the mid 1990s the sound had begun to be used in caribbean music.

Anne Dudley and Trevor Horn used an orchestra hit in the Art of Noise as an effect, rather than a melodic instrument. The sample was used in "Close (to the Edit)", where it was sequenced alongside sound effects of chainsaws, breaking glass and motorcycles. Similarly, the brass orchestra hits in "Owner of a Lonely Heart" are used as a rhythmic device, rather than an effect to evoke a specific environment (in a similar way to samples in Yes's earlier recordings). The stabs in the song may also be substitutes for other instruments in the rhythm section, possibly drum fills, and the use of orchestra hits and other samples is particularly noticeable between the first chorus and the start of the guitar solo.

Orchestra hits can be used in film music to represent loud noises such as closing doors.

Additionally, some games developed by Konami make usage of digitized Orchestra Hits. The most prominent examples being Super C and Contra Force for the NES, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time for the SNES.