Colossus: A once in a generation synthesizer

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the outrageous and jaw-dropping Colossus from Analogue Solutions.

A "colossus" thank you to Tom at Analogue Solutions for the very generous loan of this remarkable instrument.
https://www.colossus-synth.com/colossus

Thank also to Simon and Eli for their help with the video.

For my music, stems of my music, sample packs, Q&As and to help keep this channel going, please consider my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

0:00 Intro Jam
1:07 Colossus
2:11 Demo 1: Fireflies
3:47 Synthi 100
4:28 Whistle Stop Tour Pt 1
7:34 Demo 2: Heft Side Brain
8:52 Whistle Stop Tour Pt 2
10:07 Demo 3: Peggio
11:31 The Colossus in the room
12:37 Demo 4: Helix"A look at the outrageous and jaw-dropping Colossus from Analogue Solutions.

A "colossus" thank you to Tom at Analogue Solutions for the very generous loan of this remarkable instrument.
https://www.colossus-synth.com/colossus

Thank also to Simon and Eli for their help with the video.

For my music, stems of my music, sample packs, Q&As and to help keep this channel going, please consider my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

0:00 Intro Jam
1:07 Colossus
2:11 Demo 1: Fireflies
3:47 Synthi 100
4:28 Whistle Stop Tour Pt 1
7:34 Demo 2: Heft Side Brain
8:52 Whistle Stop Tour Pt 2
10:07 Demo 3: Peggio
11:31 The Colossus in the room
12:37 Demo 4: Helix

A Potted History of Drum Synthesizers

video upload by Alex Ball and Nathan Curran Tugg the Drummer (Tugg)

"A look at a niche within a niche, the drum synthesizer; a story that begins in the late 60s and continues to this very day."

0:00 Intro
0:25 Definition of a "Drum Synthesizer"
2:24 Precursors, DIY and Impakt
4:03 Star Instruments Synare
5:09 How these Instruments Worked
6:13 Syndrum: The First Famous Drum Synth
8:45 Ult-Sound: Japan's First Drum Synth
10:10 Pearl & Tama: Here Come The Drum Companies
13:20 Simmons: The Zeitgeist
19:21 The Flood Gates & Mega-Montage
24:48 Soviet Offerings
25:17 Decline and the Splitting Point
27:05 Vermona: A New Era
29:28 Elektron: Blurred Lines
30:58 A Plethora of Machines
32:24 Clavia/Nord: Simply Red
33:39 Modern Day: The Culmination
34:44 Summary & Thanks
35:23 Patron Outro Jam

Update:

1/14/26 Simmons SDS6 + TAMA DS200 + Alesis MIDIVERB II + CXM 1978

video upload by Cfpp0

"This is one of two videos I recorded for the great Alex Ball (‪@AlexBallMusic‬) to use in his video about the history of drum synthesizers. I’m using the Simmons SDS7 to trigger the two halves of the TAMA DS200, with reverbs from the Alesis MIDIVERB II and the CXM 1978. The DS200 is running hot through the MIDIVERB II, overloading the preamp. The CXM 1978 has a long predelay in lo-fi mode to create a grainy pitchy echo."

Tony Banks' Old Synth

video upload by Alex Ball

"Following on from our look at Genesis SP-12 sounds, here's a look at Tony Banks' Roland JD-800 that he used live throughout the 1990s.

In this video, we have a listen to the tour patches stored on the instrument and get a little glimpse into how Genesis did things in front of stadiums full of adoring fans.

Huge thank you to Andrew Ward for the loan of this historic instrument.
Andrew Ward: https://www.instagram.com/arpquadra/

For music from my videos, stems, sample packs and Q&As, please consider my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

0:00 Intro
0:27 Patch 1: Invisible Touch
2:51 Patch 2: Home by the sea Pt 1
4:11 Patch 3: Home by the sea Pt 2
5:33 Patch 4: Domino
6:48 Patch 5: In the cage Pt 1
7:42 Patch 6: In the cage Pt 2
8:24 Patch 7: Mama
9:46 Patch 8: Follow you, follow me
10:31 Patch 9: Watcher of the skies
11:37 Quick Fire: Carpet Crawlers, Abacab, MB
13:04 Outro"

A Unique Vintage FX Box

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the unique MXR M-129 Pitch Transposer from 1979.

Thanks to Tom for the loan!

Patreon for the music from my videos, the stems of the music from my videos, sample packs and monthly Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

One thing I neglected to mention was the MXR brand was later aquired by Jim Dunlop who have kept it going since the late 80s.
https://www.jimdunlop.com/products/el...

Tony Gambacurta's perspective on inventing the M-129 Pitch Transposer: http://digitonylab.com/Documents/The-...

Big Country discuss their use of it: http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/cou...

0:00 Intro Jam
0:48 Quick History
2:22 Demo 1: Foxxy Music
3:17 What is the MXR M-129?
6:11 Demo 2: Large Nation
7:16 What else?
7:55 Demo 3: Syn-Pitch
8:46 Famous Users
10:19 Possessor of a friendless ticker
11:07 What became of MXR?
12:25 Outro"

The Oberheim OB-X (1979)

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the classic Oberheim OB-X synthesizer from 1979. Huge thanks to Steven R Sellick for the kind loan!

0:00 Intro
1:07 The Oberheim OB-X
1:30 Potted History
3:01 Demo 1
4:10 What's on an OB-X?
6:50 Demo 2
7:44 The Filter and Tom Sawyer
10:45 Demo 3
11:46 The Impact of the OB-X
13:19 Outro

Huge thank you to my Patreons.
https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic"

Complete ROLAND SYSTEM 700 (7 Blocks)

video upload by Ian Nieman

This one is in via John L Rice.

"Here is a short video showing the layout and module configuration of a complete ROLAND SYSTEM 700. Be sure to check out @AlexBallMusic channel for more info on how the 700 functions, and some sound demos. If you are interested in general tutorials on how to use a synthesizer be sure to head over to @anthonymarinellimusic Youtube channel, or check out his "Think Like A Synth" program.

** This video is unedited, no script. One camera, one take, so if there are mistakes sorry for that :)"

ROLAND SYSTEM 700 - what does it sound like??

video upload by Ian Nieman

0:00 - Intro
3:10 - Sequencer Starts
10:20 - Using Keyboard Controller
11:40 - Portamento
22:29 - Mono Phase Shifter
25:15 - Outro

"Just going through some basic routing to illustrate the sound (sonic) of the System 700 Maincab (Block 1). No external FX etc ... direct into Protools. My intent is to let you hear what a 700 actually sounds like. Hopefully you have half decent speakers etc ... I do notice a bit or distortion, mostly caused by the Reverb tank being overdriven!

Because this was a 'live' and do notice I didn't go through all the modules, but again that wasn't my focus.

Thanks~~

Sorry the autofocus was stuck.
** Not intended to be a "performance" in an way or instruction on how to use a 700 :)

#roland #rolandsystem700 #synth #synthesizer #analog #Japan #music #producer #tools"

Novation SUMMIT // A 2025 Synth from 2019... and beyond!!

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Sonically we're in control iykyk :) .... Coming out of Leftfield - was the market ready for the Novation SUMMIT and PEAK FPGA oscillators back in 2018? Did we really understand what they were? .. digital .. yes, but not as we knew it, not old school tech type of digital.

Get my SUMMIT and Peak Patches here:
Vintage Classics https://www.starskycarr.com/patches/p...
Oberheim https://www.starskycarr.com/patches/p...

Clocking at 24MHz these were something new. Bringing out a hybrid when everyone was going analog crazy was a brave move, but one that's still paying dividends.

Building on ideas from vintage classics, it seems to have come from the future... well ahead of it's time - it's always been a 2025 synth but was originally released in 2019.

AND - it's packed full of features...

In this I look at some of the more overlooked features, and the flexibility.In my previous demos i've showed how it can emulate the functions of loads of classic synths, so in this i take it a little further. Looking at binaural mode, complex modulation, 3 distortions, dual filter modes and wavetables.

... and a big thanks to ‪@AlexBallMusic‬ for his cameo :)"

NEW 2025 Panoptigon Disc - POLYVOX

video upload by optigandotcom

"Now available exclusively at https://www.quilterlabs.com/collectio...

POLYVOX is the famous Vox Humana preset from a classic 1970s polyphonic synth. We simply gave it a different name to avoid confusion with the vintage Optigan disc of the same title. Try it with the Panoptigon’s hall reverb turned up, and the main volume knob turned all the way down, to simulate a slow attack rate.

POLYVOX can only be played on Panoptigon, and is not compatible with Optigan or Orchestron.

Recorded and mastered by Alex Ball @AlexBallMusic
Edited and mastered for Panoptigon by Pea Hicks
Disc design and mastering by Robert Becker

Important Note:

All discs are subject to the following licensing arrangement.
You MAY use any and all sounds on our Optigan/Orchestron discs to create derivative works for commercial or private use without any further licensing fee beyond the original purchase price of the discs. No credit to optigan.com is required. If your Optigan/Orchestron resides in a commercial studio which you operate, this license also extends to your clients.
You MAY NOT simply copy the sound contents of the discs and distribute the material directly as sample loops, either commercially or privately.
You MAY NOT make physical copies of the actual discs themselves, other than for private use/experimentation.

Compatibility
Panoptigon disc players"

Why to buy the most famous drum machine of all time

video upload by Alex Ball

"Like most people, I've always wanted to own an original Roland TR-808 but it's always been the wrong price or the wrong time or both. Earlier this year my time finally came.

I wanted to make a video showing why it's still a very relevant and useful instrument in a modern studio and that it's not just purely about nostalgia, whilst that obviously plays a part!

0:00 Intro Jam
1:38 Individal Outs & FX
5:14 Trigger Outs and Synths
9:16 Sampling and Synching
12:52 Boutique Comparison
14:39 Sample Pack
15:15 Summary and Outro Jam

Sample pack, stems and music from the video: / alexballmusic"

TR-909: The Beat Goes On

video upload by Alex Ball

"An in-depth look at Roland's classic TR-909 from 1983.

Beaotic discount code: ALEX909
This gives buyers 50% on their entire order, including the XT-909 mentioned in the video. The code expires 31 Aug 2025.
https://beaotic.com/

For sample packs, Q&As and more:
www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

0:00 Intro Jam
0:58 History
6:18 Demo 1: Monsieur Donk
7:17 808 vs 909
10:23 Demo 2: Just 303 and 909
11:28 Ext Inst
12:57 Demo 3: Friday 1992
14:12 What now?
15:46 Outro Patron Jam"

Cult German Music and a Japanese Sequencer

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at how the Korg MS-20 and SQ-10 sequencer were an intergral part of the sound of a group of German musicians in the late 70s and early 80s.

0:00 Intro
1:09 Der Mussolini - DAF
5:02 Los Niños Del Parque - Liaisons Dangereuses
8:10 Minimal Tape 3/7.2 - Pyrolator
10:48 Sample Pack
11:38 Outro Jam / Patrons

Huge thanks to Brad Holland and my patrons and patreon.

The sample pack is available here: https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

Synth settings (these are my estimations, rather than certain):

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Pearl Syncussion From 1979!

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the first drum synthesizer made by Pearl, the Syncussion SY-1 from 1979.

Get the sample pack, music and stems from this video and help me make more stuff like this via my new Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic

Thank you for the support!

0:00 Intro Jam
0:53 The Pearl Syncussion
1:26 Demo 1: Pearl Jam
2:21 Talk: How Does It Work?
4:50 Talk: Who Used It?
5:07 Demo 2: Is This Dub?
6:15 Talk: A Second Life
6:57 Demo 3: Is This Techno?
8:00 Talk: Legacy
8:47 Sample Pack
9:42 Outro Jam"

A Closer Look at the Roland System 100m from 1979!

Published on May 1, 2020 Alex Ball

"A closer look at Roland's System 100m synthesizer from 1979.

I demonstrate four patches to give a little flavour of this fantastic synthesizer and then explain each patch in order to give an understanding of how it works.

0:00 Intro
0:44 Patch 1 Drum n Bass (Demonstration)
1:44 Patch 1 Drum n Bass (Explanation)
4:04 Patch 2 Rate Speech (Demonstration)
4:39 Patch 2 Rate Speech (Explanation)
6:01 Patch 3 Jupiter 100m (Demonstration)
7:11 Patch 3 Jupiter 100m (Explanation)
8:00 Patch 4 Dial-Up (Demonstration)
9:30 Patch 4 Dial-Up (Explanation)
14:12 Outro

Modules used:
110 VCO / VCF / VCA
112 Dual VCO
121 Dual Filter
130 Dual VCA
131 Output Mixer
132 Voltage Processor / Mixer
140 Dual Envelope / LFO
150 Ring Mod / S&H / Noise / LFO
165 Dual Portamento
172 Phaser / Audio Delay / Gate Delay / LFO
182 Sequencer
184 Polyphonic 4CV Keyboard
191-J 5 module case with multiples

Huge thank you to the owner of this System!

If you want to delve deeper into the System 100m then check out my webpage on the subject: https://www.alexballmusic.com/system100m"

The Rare KORG MS-50 from 1978

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the only fully-modular synthesizer Korg have ever made, the MS-50 Expander Module from 1978.

Here's the nerdy page mentioned in the video with all the dirty details: https://www.alexballmusic.com/korg-ms...

Also make sure to follow the Nakatsugawa Korg Museum, it's rather wonderful. https://www.instagram.com/korg_museum...

0:00 Intro Jam
1:00 Talk: The MS-50
1:30 Demo 1: Oh My Mod!
2:30 Talk: Was ist der MS-50?
3:17 Demo 2: Movie Tension
4:05 Talk: Expander Module
4:27 Demo 3: Expander
5:04 Talk: External Signal Processing
5:38 Demo 4: Stereo Follower
6:09 Talk: Esoteric Stuff
6:29 Demo 5: Wass Dis Do?
7:41 Talk: Filtering
8:43 Demo: Type35 vs Diode Ring
9:10 Talk: MS-01, FK-3, FK-5
10:01 Demo 6: Footsie Fun, Jah!
11:50 Summing Up

Thanks to Brad and thanks for watching!"

Roland VP-550: Still Brilliant After 20 Years

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at a Roland instrument that I've wanted to cover for ages, this is the VP-550 from 2006.

(Yes, that was 20 years ago)

0:00 Intro
0:41 History
1:57 Vocal Designer
3:55 Ensemble / Bass & Percussion
4:36 Has this aged well?
5:47 Experiments
8:15 Summary
9:08 Patron Outro Jam

www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic"

Also see The Roland VP-330: Why is it so sought after?

What Is All That Stuff Inside A Polymoog (by synthpro)

video upload by synthpro

"This is a video I felt it was time to make going over the polymoog more in depth technically to go hand in hand with @AlexBallMusic's post on the Polymoog synthesizer."

See Alex Ball's Polymoog video here: That Gary Numan Synth. Update:

Dillan's Polymoog 203a Demo (by synthpro)



SN 1244

The YMO Music Computer

video upload by Alex Ball

"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"

The Psychedelic Sound of Magnetic Tape Flanging

video upload by HAINBACH

"When my friend ‪@AlexBallMusic‬ made a video on the Eventide Instaflanger, he only had a drawing of tape machines to show of how flanging came about. I have a bunch of matching machines, so I decided to give it a shot. The sonic results were a pleasant surprise."

Featuring the Synton Fenix & Moog Muse.

Bob Marley & The Minimoog

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the use of the Minimoog Model D (performed by John 'Rabbit' Bundrick) in Bob Marley and the Wailers 1973 recording of 'Stir it up'.

0:00 Intro
0:27 The Backstory
2:42 Recreating the Sound
5:44 Summary and Sample Pack
6:34 Abridged cover

Thank you to my patrons for their ongoing support / alexballmusic"

The Vintage Lexicon Sound

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at some wonderful vintage Lexicon FX processors; the Model 200 Reverberator and the Model 97 Super Prime Time Progammable Digital Delay Processor.

0:00 Intro
1:26 Brief History of Lexicon
3:24 Experiment 1: Vanilla Delay
5:08 Experiment 2: Super Flange
6:13 Experiment 3: Ambience / ADT
7:44 Experiment 4: Glitch Funk
9:48 Experiment 5: That 80s Thing
12:03 Experiment 6: Tears in the rain
14:14 Experiment 7: That Shimmer Thing
16:13 Summary and Outro Jam

Thanks to my Patrons for their ongoing support.
www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic"