"The drum machine has progressed massively since the days of the home organ player. Here Oli Freke takes us through a brief history with lots of audio examples, highlighting the most iconic models to have been released during the last 60 years and the part they have played in shaping musical trends."
You might remember Oli Freke from his Synthesizer Evolution book, synth posters, and demos previously posted here.
00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - Early Rhythm Machines
02:57 - The First Korg Rhythm Machine
04:03 - The Invention Of The Transistor
08:02 - Solid State Rhythm Machines
13:48 - Using Drum Machines In Mainstream Hits
17:05 - The First Programmable Drum Machines
21:59 - The Introduction Of Drum Pads And Brains
25:27 - The Arrival Of Digital Samples And The Linn Drum
30:59 - The Era Of Sampling Drum Machines
37:11 - The Impact Of The Roland TR-808 and TR-909
42:54 - Other Notable 80s Drum Machines
44:41 - The Introduction Of MIDI
46:51 - Standardised Layouts And Spec
50:12 - Analogue Circuit Modelling And Software
53:45 - Back To Hardware With Eurorack Modular
54:52 - Drum Pattern Generation With AI
"Oli Freke is a London-based musician, artist and author who has had a life-long passion for electronic instruments, synthesizers and electronic music. Currently working for the BBC, he has previously enjoyed success with electro band Cassette Electrik supporting the Human League on tour, written music for television and produced dance music since the 1990s.
His Synth Evolution range of posters, celebrating the synthesizer and electronic music culture, launched in 2017 and led to the definitive, hand-illustrated book, Synth Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back), featuring every commercial synth of the 20th century.
"GForce Software and Oberheim proudly unveil the DMX, an ode to the legendary drum machine of the past, seamlessly integrated with the speed and versatility of today’s digital realm. The DMX™ is a time machine that bridges decades of sound with the future of rhythm.
Credits
@AlexBallMusic - video production and voice-over.
John D. - Hardware demo audio and video.
Bouddicca’s Bass Service - audio track at 4:03min
Demo Note - The output of the LM-1 and the hardware DMX kits have been enhanced with EMT Reverb, EQ, and Tape Saturation. The GForce DMX is shipped with both clean and processed kits, many of these being used in the demo. Any perceptible sound differences between the hardware and software used in this demo are due to differences in sound levels and the presence of the EMT Reverb."
"The Oberheim DMX by GForce is an ode to the legendary drum machine of the past, seamlessly integrated with the speed and versatility of today’s digital realm. The DMX™ is a time machine that bridges decades of sound with the future of rhythm.
Authentic Sound, Unmatched Clarity – Experience the raw power of vintage drum sounds, meticulously crafted and enhanced for crystal-clear quality without losing their classic soul. Intuitive Design, Infinite Creativity – With its sleek, user-friendly interface, the DMX invites novices and seasoned professionals to explore, experiment, and express without bounds.
The Oberheim DMX drum machine has left an indelible mark on the soundscape of popular music, crafting the rhythmic foundation of timeless tracks across a spectrum of genres.
From the driving beats of New Order‘s “Blue Monday” and Madonna‘s “Holiday” to the foundational rhythms of Run-D.M.C.‘s “It’s Like That,” the infectious Phil Collins’ “Sussudio”, the seminal Hip Hop/Electro jam Davy DMX’s “One For The Treble” or the uplifting grooves of Eurythmics’ 1983 album, its influence is unmistakable. Even Daft Punk‘s “Discovery” album owes a nod to the DMX.
We included all of the original DMX sounds from its launch in 1981, as well as the updated DMX sounds introduced around 1983. We’ve complemented the DMX sound set with the DX and the Sequential Drumtraks ones plus many alternatives.
The DMX by GForce Software is more than a drum machine; it’s a declaration that the beats of the past are the heartbeat of the future. It’s designed for those who revere the rhythm legends of yesteryears but are eager to push the boundaries of what’s rhythmically possible tomorrow.
Jumpstart your creativity with a comprehensive collection of classic MIDI files. These carefully selected rhythms offer a nod to the iconic beats that have shaped music history, ready for you to re-imagine and integrate into your modern productions.
Finally, we’ve incorporated kits that capture the raw, unprocessed sound of a DMX/DX, as well as kits that are professionally produced and ready for immediate use in your productions.
Step into a world where vintage vibes and modern moves converge. With the GForce‘s Oberheim DMX, unleash patterns that pulsate with the lifeblood of classics, refined by the precision of modern technology.
Classic Sound, Modern Control: Dive into the original eight-part sound kit of the Oberheim DMX, now augmented with comprehensive control over pan, solo, mute, pitch, decay, analogue-style delay send, and the lush, spacious reverb send for each channel. Masterful Manipulation: On the master channel, a multi-mode filter, distortion, and compressor offer the ultimate tools for adding depth, warmth, and punch. Sculpt your overall sound with precision, adding that sought-after character only found in vintage gear. Recreate some of the most iconic beats or twist them into something uniquely yours, all while benefiting from the timeless sound that has defined the rhythm for generations.
It’s time to let your beats tell a story as timeless as music itself."
"Today we Chat with @Elektortek about the STEIM synthesizer
You can support these videos and get lots of extra videos and songs here :- / lookmumnocomputer
Patreon is a massive enable to making videos, the larger DIY projects would be a lot more strung out without it! so i cant thank my supporters enough.
It Also keeps the lights on at @THISMUSEUMISNOTOBSOLETE where you can come and play this synth!
--------
ACID SOLDER CLUB Veerle Pennock :-
https://veerlepennock.com/
---------
SIMON CLAESSEN :-
https://drukknop.nl/
----------
HACK 42 :-
https://hack42.nl/blog/"
See the STEIM label directly below for additional posts.
"Please join us while we explore the infamous, but actually quite venerable Moog Memorymoog synthesizer. As is widely recognized, the Memorymoog was developed too late and was rushed to the market. By 1982/83, the era of extremely expensive flagship analog polysynths being ubiquitously adopted by professional musicians and studios was coming to an end. Synths like the Sequential Prophet 5, Oberheim OB-X/Xa, & Roland Jupiter 8 had dominated the market, but new digital technology - both in synthesis and sampling, was quickly gaining a substantial foothold in the music industry. The Memorymoog was notorious for reliability issues right out of the box while innovative instruments like the Yamaha DX7 were cheaper, much more reliable, and had a unique new sound.
In hindsight and considering the analog renaissance we've expereinced of late, one can evaluate the Memorymoog from a different and more forgiving perspective... It sounds absolutely fantastic and offeres an incredibly unique & fat tone relative to competetive products of both its era and modern times. Additionally, once a competent technician has sorted common issues with the power supply/fan, connectors, etc. the instrument can be quite reliable from a functionality and tuning standpoint.
The audio is DIRECT, with a just a touch of OTO Bam reverb added on an aux bus - You are hearing the raw audio as it comes directly from the synthesizer. There is NO EQ, Dynamics, etc. Listen on good headphones or monitors!
Thank you so much for watching! This channel is a passion project. These videos are recorded off the cuff. We are just two hobbyists who share a deep passion for synthesizers."
00:00 Opening Titles
00:31 Introduction
01:20 Little Black Boxes
04:37 Switched On Cybersynths
17:46 Synthesiser Club
21:23 Commercial Break
23:05 Patching Today
37:53 Video Lab
40:26 Outro
"Episode six of the second series of the TV program from Benge, made at his Memetune Electronic Music Studio, and the final episode of the season
The series explores his passion for vintage synthesiser instruments and studio gear and how he uses it on his productions and collaborations
LITTLE BLACK BOXES - The Kawai k1m was a small desktop version of the K1 layer synth, introduced in 1988. Today I sequence it from an Atari ST running C-Lab Notator
SWITCHED ON CYBERSYNTHS - Patching it all together: after a brief section on quantising both pitch and time, I attempt to patch together all of the Memetune modulars (12 vintage systems!) in a giant Cybersynthesis monster patch
SYNTHESISER CLUB - Today, its more Yamahas, including a QX1 sequencer, RX5 drum machine, TQ5 FM synth module, REX50 multi FX, SY85 layer synth and a MT1X 4-multi-track cassette recorder
COMMERCIAL BREAK - Some adverts for Memetune related goodies, including the new Memetune Annual 2024 (sort of😁)
PATCHING TODAY - Taking the wonky Roland System 100 for a ride
VIDEO LAB - In this episode we take the meme-mobile for a spin!
"Hello viewers and Vintage Gear lovers. Keyboard Kingpin is back with some retro gear demos. Today we Pair up the Roland rhythm Plus Pb-300 with the Piano Plus 100 (hp-100) via Midi. These Instruments where sold together in the 80s Mostly the HP-300 and HP-400 but the Hp-100 was a more striped down portable option for Electric Piano Players of the 80s.Join Me as we take a deeper look and of course Demo and make a beat!"
"A look at the revolutionary Roland MC-8 from 1977 which was one of the earliest microprocessor-controlled digital sequencers. Around 200 of these units were made and they were extremely expensive.
As I've covered the history of this unit several times, I thought it would be interesting to follow in the footsteps of a band that made significant use of the MC-8, which was Yellow Magic Orchestra.
In the video we look at how the MC-8 works and use it to compose a track in the style of YMO using the techniques and (where possible) instruments that they used in the late 70s.
Thank you to my Patrons for their support. The track, stems and MC-8 data are available there.
https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic
You can buy the track on my Bandcamp: https://alexball.bandcamp.com
0:00 Intro
0:47 YMO, Hideki Matsutake and the MC-8
2:25 The MC-8 Interface
5:12 Programming the MC-8
10:43 Transport and Saving
12:20 Overdub and Sync
13:15 MPX Programming
15:10 Summary
15:50 The Feature Track - Lovers in Tokyo"
"This is a love story about a synthesizer unlike many others, in my opinion a synth the came out so long ago still eclipses many releases of today. Great Synth Mystery, mmm, maybe... but I wanted to make a compelling piece about such a wonderful instrument. As a musician and not a reviewer or journalist I think this really speaks to how ahead of it's time the Access Virus Ti was."
"The Korg M1 was the most popular synth of the late 80's, about 250,000 were made. But how does it stack up against other synths of the era? This video will compare patches of the Korg M1, Roland D-70, Yamaha SY77 and Kurzweil K1000 in a song.
"Happy birthday to synthesizer pioneer PETER ZINOVIEFF. Here's a quick look at some of his innovations within our EMS here at the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project (EMEAPP). This includes the VCS3 (The Putney), the Synthi AKS, the Synthetical Engine, and our Synthi 100 system, including the Compu-Synthi and the Vocoder 5000. Please follow us, there's lots of good stuff on the way!"
"A video from the Australian Broadcasting Company about a composer and inventor called Percy Grainger, who made electronic instruments in the 1950s that would follow a curving line to create pitch and music. He physically made the curving line out of thick sheets of card and fed them into the machine, controlling the pitch of an oscillator."
"Introducing Obscure Objects: a mini-documentary series about exceptional and unknown items found within the smem collection.
The Korg PS-3100 is a 1976 polyphonic synthesizer, father of the well-known PS-3300. It's one of the only analog synths in history to feature complete polyphony.
LINKS:
SMEM WEBSITE
smemmusic.ch
BROWSE THE SMEM COLLECTION ONLINE
smemmusic.ch/collection"
"We explore the new upldated Wurli V3, part of Arturia's recently relased V Collection X. It's a recreation of the Wurlitzer Electronic Piano heard. Originally intended as a home and educational instrument, it's iconic sound can be heard on many records in jazz, funk, rock, soul and beyond. We go over all of its main-panel and advanced futures, and take a look at a few of the factory presets"
00:00 Introduction
00:21 History of the Wurlitzer Electronic Piano
01:09 Main panel of the Wurli V
02:27 Advanced Panel features
07:53 Effects panel
12:40 Factory Presets
15:36 Conclusion
"Talking synths from Germany, quite a few companies come to mind: Waldorf, Doepfer or Vermona are popular ones still around and there are a lot more, some of them long gone like pioneering PPG. One company that hardly ever makes the list is Dr Böhm Organ. This might be down to the fact that Böhm weren’t exactly a company focused on synths at all but rather one that offered DIY kits for people to build themselves electronic organs.
Strictly speaking these organs were ‘synths’ too and when the 80s arrived, Böhm, just like companies like Sequential, Roland or Yamaha, started to utilize digital control and later digital synthesis in their ‘synths’ too, albeit utilizing interfaces more akin to traditional organs.
One other similarity to ‘real’ synth companies was that they also started to offer expander modules, that could be controlled by midi, expanding the variety of sounds while at the same time saving on space (no keyboard) and costs.
This is where today’s synth comes from. The Dynamic 12/24 was meant as an affordable way for Böhm’s customers of home owners and entertainers to expand their setup with some more organ but also other sounds like strings, e-pianos and some 80s-ish synth staples.
The technology used was taken from one of it’s electronic organs and while clearly trying to hide it (even going as far as filing the markings off the ICs) it was Yamaha FM Chips doing Yamaha sounding 4OP FM. The good thing is of course, that this is actually a great basis for a very wide range of sounds, especially as Böhm was kind enough to add user memory to enable creation and saving of your own patches. Also, editing can be done via midi and there are editors available too. What makes the 12/24 stand out from the crowd of 4 OP modules most though is the unique Böhm analog bucket brigade delay style ensemble effect, that ‘warms’ the FM sound.
Last but not least, the Dynamic 12/24s seem to be widely available and dirt cheap too, at least here in and around Germany. So grab one before they become cool, or anyone finds out they are actually the same as the Orla DSE, a synth that has been used by a guy that goes by the name of Richard David James…"
A mini historical timeline of key events by Zoë Blade. It's interesting in that it gives you some of driving forces behind the designs. For an in depth list of electronic music instruments see https://120years.net. If you want read a couple of books on Bob Moog check out Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer, and Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution (Amazon affiliate links). Note: memories can be fuzzy. There are some critiques for Analog Days not being 100% accurate. I haven't heard any on Switched On. That said, both books are interesting reads and will get you closer to some of that history.
Video description:
"After researching a bit about where Bob Moog got his ideas (and rewatching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), I finally got around to making my 'crazy board' red wool video (over a year and a half after buying the wool for this specific purpose), before I inevitably forget it all again.
This is my latest attempt at making a 'quick and easy' video, where I ramble on at the camera for three takes then edit the best bits together into something vaguely coherent.
I spent a good while typing out the subtitles for those who need it, which, given how I talk, is probably everyone. 😅
