IMPORTANT NOTE: For true vintage / retro synth fans only
Only analog synthesizer were used in recording the tune. The tune was also recorded by analog gear only and mixed with an analog mixer. The tune is from Kebu’s upcoming debut album, which is planned to be released in 2012.
Equipment used: Korg Mono/Poly, Korg Poly-61, Moog Source, Logan String Melody, Arp Axxe, Touched by Sound DRM1, Roland TR-808, Electro Harmonix Polychorus, Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic, Lexicon MPX500, Allen&Heath GS1, Yamaha MT4x. Cubase & Live only used as MIDI sequencers with the tape sync handled by a Roland TR-626.
You can buy this single from Ubetoo for 0.99 euro:
http://www.ubetoo.com/store/artist/title/a2122
Monster Yamaha Double DJX Freakout!
The DJX-II is a Groove Machine and entry-level keyboard designed for great sounding techno and dance music. Features include an on-board but limited 8-bit sampler and Yamaha’s AWM synthesis technology for sounds similar to the AN1x, CS2x, and CS6x. Designed for DJs and budding musicians, the DJX-II is a live groove-machine, no keyboard skills required! The keys are primarily used to select patterns, mute parts, add preset hits or fills, and shift the key of the patterns playing. But in voice mode, you can play any of its 202 sounds or drums across the keyboard like a regular synthesizer.
The DJX-II is chock-full of DJ style features that suit this keyboard for live use in clubs, raves and other dance parties! There’s a Bass Boost System to add extra ‘oomph’ to your sounds, especially bass-lines. An Audio bpm Counter will sync the DJX-II up to your vinyl records or CDs via the RCA line inputs. The Pattern Player can generate about 700 various dance-oriented patterns and variations, available at the press of a key! Additionally there are dynamic filters, digital effects like reverb and chorus, Isolator – a 3-band EQ, tap-tempo, a ribbon controller, a key shifter, and built-in speakers.
In this video:
I’ve created a monster by MIDIing a Yamaha DJX mk I with a Yamaha DJX II. These beasts maybe be from the same family, but they are quite different and fun for making all sorts of sonic mayhem.
Free Ableton Live Rack – “Yamaha CP-35”
AfroDJMac’s latest contribution where he takes on the Yamaha CP-35.
The Yamaha CP-35 is a pretty cool vintage electric piano. Made sometime in the 1970s or 80s this instrument has a wide range of tone, sometimes reminiscent of the Fender Rhodes keyboards. Probably my biggest gripe about this keyboard is its size. The thing is huge and heavy. Cleverly, the case transforms into legs, but lugging this baby around to gigs is pretty much out of the question. Fortunately, it now fits in your laptop. The original model has flanger and tremolo effects, which I have attempted to emulate. I’ve also added some chorus, vibrato, and delay to add some flavor to it. The CP-35 is capable of a fairly wide range of electric piano sounds, and I have sampled five offerings. So the next time you need a nice dreamy vintage piano sound reminiscent of “Daniel” by Elton John, or a Stevie Wonder-esque funk piano, load up the AfroDJMac CP-35 rack.
In this video:
Ableton Live Instrument Rack created by sampling a Yamaha CP35 electric piano. Effects are then layered, including a tremolo using Ableton’s Auto Pan effect.
Download the Live set here: http://bit.ly/freesynth9
it includes two versions, one with Sampler and one with Simpler.
Getting to know the Yamaha PSS-380 / PSS-390
The Yamaha PSS-390 is the same as the PSS-380 FM-keyboard.There is only a cosmetic difference (colors).Its build one year later than the PSS-380. The Yamaha PSS-390 has been used by artists like Alobar and Tax-5
In this video:
Demo Song: Susan Rom
Sounds & Drums: Yamaha PSS-380
Effects: Behringer FX 600 (Delay)
Multitrack Recording
Yamaha CS01II plays BIG MUFF by Depeche Mode
Download this track at: http://snd.sc/iyLd2s
In this video:
The Yamaha CS01II is the first real synthesizer I ever owned. I got it when I was about 14 years old, back in 1985 or so. I noticed that I could get reasonable approximations of most of the sounds from Depeche Mode’s “Speak & Spell” album with it, but at the time I didn’t have the means to make decent multi-track cover versions, even after I got a 4-track.
Recently I was studying the Depeche Mode 5.1 surround mixes, and realized that I could clearly hear all the distinct parts of alot of the songs, so I decided to throw together some renditions using just my trusty old Yamaha CS01II as the sole sound source (including the drums), just to see how close I could get to the originals using very limited means.
The actual musical arrangement is about 100% accurate. The sounds themselves are of course only approximations, and most of them don’t have the same level of timbral detail as the ARP originals. I sequenced the whole thing in Cubase via a Kenton Pro Solo going into the custom CV/Gate inputs on my CS01II, recording each monophonic line in one at a time. Cubase provided the reverb and EQ, otherwise it’s all CS01II. I’ve deliberately been quite pure about this process- other than the reverb/delay/EQ, there’s no manipulation of the sounds going on here. This is, for me, mostly a technical exercise, so it wouldn’t make much sense to process the sounds very much, as that would only take it further away from the native sound of the CS01II.
I don’t really consider these to be “covers” as such- if I were covering these tunes, I’d do something creative with them as opposed to just mimicing them as closely as possible. I don’t have any desire to “cover” these songs in that sense. At any rate, this project has been a good exercise in close listening and mixing for me, so I see that as the main reward for my efforts.
In the studio with DX5, EMU and various Poly 800 sources – DM cover
So what is the EMU EMAX?
The Emax is a classic sampler workstation from E-mu. It is sort of a next generation Emulator II, it’s not as good as an Emulator III but it’s more powerful than previous EII’s. The Emax can be found in several forms: the Emax, the Emax Rack, the Emax HD (built-in 20MB hard disk, pictured above), the Emax HD Rack (pictured below) and the Emax SE (Synthesis Enhanced) with a built-in synthesizer section. The Emax’s editing system will be familiar to users of E-mu’s excellent ESI series.
The Emax has an extensive library collection of samples that can be loaded via the built-in 3.5″ hard drive. Or you can sample your own sounds. The Sampler is powerful, but lo-fi. It samples at 12-bit resolution with variable sample-rates up to 42kHz. The built-in memory is 512K which only gives you a few good seconds really. Sampling and editing is easy, complete and intuitive with auto sample placement, auto-looping, truncating, reversing, velocity cross-fade, etc. The Emax also features individual channel outputs and stereo outputs and extensive MIDI implementation.
In this video:
One of the last videos shot in this studio. I am moving to a temporary one while building the definitive (say goodbye to the flower power sofa and curtains…).
I added a Simmons SDS 8 module for drum effects. The only original pad I have is too weared, so I used two standar pads for triggering the unit.
Upper Keyboard: Emu EMAX II HD
Lower: Emu Emax.
All sounds were synthesized by me, sampling them into the emaxes. Sources were JP8000 DW8000 Poly 800, and my Emax library.
Composed by Martin L. Gore.
The Harry Potter Gaia Remix
My favourite Harry Potter themes (John Williams) played on Roland Gaia and Yamaha Motif by Fabien Labonde
A good way to try tweaking clean sounds, pads, leads and dirty sounds from the Gaia
Family Portrait – Hedwig – Buckbeak’s Flight – Window to the Past – Nimbus 2000 – Double Trouble
Yamaha RMX1
The RM1x is a great new pattern based instant dance music machine! It sounds great! The patterns are perfect and inspiring forms of dub, bigbeatz, 2 step, trance, house, hardcore and more with tons of great analog-like sounds and drum kits. The RM1x also features plenty of effects, filters, knobs, and MIDI control.
Yamaha MOX Music Production Synthesizer
An overview of the New Yamaha MOX Music Production Synthesizer at Musikmesse 2011.
All you need to know about the unveiled Yamaha MOX 6/8 synths
Heavyweight professional performance with lightweight price tag, the new generation feature packed Yamaha MOX 6 and MOX 8 music production synthesizers exude classic Motif heritage for musicians on a budget.
Yamaha proudly unveil the next chapter in the Motif story with the phenomenal MOX 6 and MOX 8 Music Production Synthesizers – feature packed professional instruments that bring Yamaha acclaimed Motif XS Sound Engine capability to music makers on a budget.
Both models offer over 1200 superb voices and over 350 MB of waveforms from the Motif XS, these sounds can be further enhanced and edited with Yamaha’s exclusive XA (Expanded Articulation) technology and the Virtual Circuitry Modeling capability which are perfect for recreating entirely new or classic vintage synth sounds.
Both models are ‘complete’ music making instruments, easy to use, they offer everything you need to create complete soundtracks, with an onboard comprehensive and powerful real or step time multi track sequencer combined with 6720 arpeggiator patterns creative flexibility is almost unrivalled.
Recording and audio power is further enhanced via the bundled YC-3B Organ Emulator soft synth, Steinberg Prologue analog synth and Cubase AI. Both models are highly portable thanks to the lightweight construction (the MOX 6 weighs in at a remarkable 7 kilos!) whilst a 4-In 2-Out USB Audio / MIDI interface guarantees complete integration.
The MOX 8 features a fully-weighted Graded hammer 88-note keyboard whist the MOX 6 features a brand new 61-note semi-weighted keyboard.
Prices are as follows : MOX 6 £1051, MOX 8 £1576.
The MOX launch offer is supported by a heavyweight marketing and PR programme including exclusive Artist Movies that are sure to inspire new customers in-store and provide distinctive informative, entertaining content for dealers and end users alike.
In addition to this high impact content Yamaha will be running on-line and in-print advertising campaigns, a dedicated 0% financial package for the MOX 8 and in-depth dealer and end user training programmes.
Reading through the specifications one really has to wonder what more anyone would need to create great music on stage or in the studio. ‘To celebrate the MOX launch Yamaha have also created a series of not to be missed exclusive interviews with an expert team comprising the cream of the UK’s top Synth exponents and professional practitioners.
They include Take That’s acclaimed Musical Director Mike Stevens, Marcus Byrne ( Annie Lennox), Luke Smith (George Michael), Alan Dunn (Bob Geldof) Luke Juby (Mike and the Mechanics) and Sean Barry from Girls Aloud, Pixie Lott & Olly Murs.
Yamaha revealed the MOX instruments to this elite group for the very first time only last week and they are shown finding their way around MOX 6 & 8 for the very first time and providing highly insightful first impressions – this material will also provide superb content for future customers, dealers and the media alike.
Both models offer over 1200 superb voices and over 350 MB of waveforms from the MOTIF XS, these sounds can be further enhanced and edited with Yamaha’s exclusive XA (Expanded Articulation) technology and the Virtual Circuitry Modeling capability which are perfect for recreating entirely new or classic vintage synth sounds.
Both models are ‘complete’ music making instruments , easy to use, they offer everything you need to create complete soundtracks, with an onboard comprehensive and powerful real or step time multi track sequencer combined with 6720 arpeggiator patterns creative flexibility is almost unrivalled.
Recording and audio power is further enhanced via the bundled YC-3B Organ Emulator soft synth, Steinberg Prologue analog synth and Cubase AI. Both models are highly portable thanks to the lightweight construction (the MOX 6 weighs in at a remarkable 7 kilos!) whilst a 4-In 2-Out USB Audio / MIDI interface guarantees complete integration.
The MOX 8 features a fully-weighted Graded hammer 88-note keyboard whist the MOX 6 features a brand new 61-note semi-weighted keyboard. The MOX launch offer is supported by a heavyweight marketing and PR programme including exclusive Artist Movies that are sure to inspire new customers in-store and provide distinctive informative, entertaining content for dealers and end users alike.
In addition to this high impact content Yamaha will be running on-line and in-print advertising campaigns, a dedicated 0% financial package for the MOX 8 and in-depth dealer and end user training programmes.
DATAMASKIN
