Underworld, Rez / Cowgirl live cover version

Published on Sep 18, 2014 Tony Horgan

"My live cover version of Rez and Cowgirl. No computer, just hardware synths, drum machines and their internal sequencers. Technical stuff follows...
The main riff is being played by the Korg Volca Keys. To get this pattern into the Keys I progammed the notes in Ableton Live and recorded them in four sections into the Volca Keys via MIDI, using four memory banks which I cycle through in this video.

The Korg KaossPad Quad is providing delay and reverb (too much of it!) via the mixer's effects loop. The mixer is an Alto ZMX122FX.

Drums are from the Roland TR-8 and the main bassline is from the MicroKORG. The MicroKORG is passed through the TR-8's auxiliary input and out through one of the two assignable outputs, together with the kick drum. The kick drum and MicroKORG bassline are then passed through an Alesis NanoCompressor and processed together. I'm not sure that's set up perfectly but the idea is to get the kick drum and the bassline to sit together.

The bassline is just one note played in an 8-step pattern using the MicroKORG's arpeggiator.

The second assignable output from the TR-8 is used to trigger the Arturia MicroBrute. The rimshot is sent to output no. 2 and fed to the MicroBrute's Gate In connection. This triggers the MicroBrute to play a note (or a rest) each time the rimshot sounds. The MicroBrute is in sequencer mode, playing a simple loop of a few notes progammed manually. Here the TR-8 is set up with a bit of swing, which also adds swing to the MicroBrute.

Out of shot there's a Korg Volca Bass, which is playing a two-note loop which is passed through a Danelctro FAB Distortion pedal and then a Zoom 1201 effects rack adding delay.

Finally there's the Novation MiniNova, which I'm attempting to use to disguise my voice :-) It was recorded on a Zoom H4n."