See this previous post for some additional info on these. Note this new listing has it listed as Tokyo Champion. The brand is Tokyo Yusyo, Yusyo effectively translates to Champion.
Note the MIDI out for use as a controller for other gear.
We are excited to share an update and achievement with you: the recreation of the iconic Prophet 5, but with a twist – our version boasts 16 voices and many new features that push the boundaries of what's possible in a synthesizer.
Recreating this synthesizer was no small feat. The engineering work involved is extraordinarily complex, requiring meticulous attention to detail and precision. Our team of engineers had to navigate the intricacies of integrating thousands of components to stay true to the original sound while adding modern capabilities.
One of the most challenging aspects of this project was the development of an 8-layer printed circuit board (PCB). For those unfamiliar, a PCB is essentially the backbone of any electronic device, housing all the components and ensuring they work together seamlessly. An 8-layer board means there are eight layers of circuitry stacked within a single board, allowing us to pack more functionality into a compact space. This complexity is necessary to manage the increased number of voices and new features while maintaining signal integrity and reducing noise.
The result is a synthesizer that not only honors the legacy of the original, but also enhances it with 16 voices, offering unparalleled polyphony and richness. This modern version includes:
- Multi-mode filters. Providing a wide range of tonal possibilities.
- 8-mode atrophy settings: Allowing for extensive modulation and sound-shaping capabilities.
- Poly aftertouch key bed: Delivering expressive and dynamic playability, making it a dream to play.
These advanced features make the new PRO-16 a powerhouse for today’s musicians, blending the classic sound with cutting-edge technology.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement and can't wait for you to experience the new PRO-16."
"We are excited to announce that the Moogseum will be hosting The Sounds of Innovation, the first public broadcast of the Abominatron Tape in its entirety. The event will occur on Friday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m. It will feature an introductory reading by Executive Director Michelle Moog-Koussa from Bob Moog's biography, Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution, followed by a listening session of the full iconic 84-minute tape.
Tickets for the event are $15 per person and are now on sale.
The event is limited to 20 people, so do not hesitate to buy your ticket now.
In the summer of 1964, Bob Moog and Herb Deutsch began working on what would eventually become the Moog modular prototype. Deutsch spent three weeks working side by side with Moog in his basement workshop in Trumansburg, New York, where he added crucial input to the design process. Moog spent several months developing the prototype and later that year, he sent Deutsch the now-historic tape explaining the various controls, parameters, and capabilities of the Moog modular prototype.
The Moog modular prototype is widely considered the instrument that marked the genesis of a musical revolution and significantly advanced the development of electronic music. The Abominatron Tape captures the very first recorded sounds of a Moog modular.
The Sounds of Innovation is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts."
See the Shear Electronics label at the bottom of this post for more.
"I had an inspiring and heart-warming experience meeting Jacob Brashears from Shear Electronics at NAMM 2024. Jacob, along with his mother Cheryl Brashears (a high performance systems engineer with a storied background) have together created a truly remarkable sounding discrete analog polyphonic synthesizer in the style of the Oberheim 8-voice Iconic SEM Synthesizer. It's aptly called the "Relic". In addition to achieving the classic sound and offering all the familiar routing of it's predecessor, the "Relic" delivers a new take with voltage controllable filter profiles (the ability to transition between HP, LP and BP filters for example), waveform blending, rich intermodulation distortion at fingertip control and all parameters are controllable with the highest resolution digital encoders available. Be sure to keep following and support this next generation synth company of mother and son on their journey to follow their dreams. I'm looking forward to playing their instrument(s) soon and seeing them flourish for a long time to come!
00:00 Anthony's Intro 00:18 Jacob's Story 00:53 About the "Relic" Synth 03:22 Sound Demonstration 04:18 About the Filters 05:08 "Take it to 11" (harmonic distortion) 05:56 Dry vs Reverb Sync Piano 06:44 Oberheim Inspired Sound 07:36 Plans for the "Relic" 08:10 Introduction to Cheryl Brashear (co-designer/engineer) 09:09 Anthony's Summary 09:56 Logo (music)E
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including _*Young Guns*_ , _*Internal Affairs*_ , _*The Man From Elysian Fields*_ , _*15 Minutes*_ and _*Planes, Trains & Automobiles*_ , been commissioned by the *Los Angeles Philharmonic* for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as *Michael Jackson's* _*Thriller*_ .
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for *Quincy Jones* , *Jack Nitzsche* , *Lamont Dozier* , *Arthur Rubenstein* and *Giorgio Moroder* was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major."
"Pigments 5 is the latest edition of Arturia’s flagship modern software synth with the power to create any sound, from the best mix-ready presets to deep custom sound design. The 5th edition brings more ways than ever to design, sculpt, modulate and arpeggiate your sound."
"We explore the new features in version 5 of Arturia's flagship instrument Pigments, along with the newly released Liquid Explorations and Beats Explorations preset packs.
00:00 Introduction
00:27 External Audio Input
03:44 New wavetables
05:30 New Sequencer features (presets, random, lock)
07:02 Liquid Explorations presets
09:54 Beats Explorations presets
12:53 Conclusion"
Arturia Pigments 5: New Atmospheric Presets Demo. No Talking
"Arturia have just released the update to one of the most powerful synths - Pigments. Now it's version 5. They added new sequencer and oscillators features, more wavetables and samples, the ability to pass and process external audio, and other improvements.
This is a short video with some of my favorite presets from the new Pigments 5 collection.
Get the update and have fun with the new sounds.
A revolution in modern synthesis, Pigments’ approach to sound design is as intricate as it is accessible. Now with more ways than ever to craft those hard-hitting sounds.
CPU Pigments 5
Reduced CPU consumption
Pigments now utilizes multi-core processing for greater CPU efficiency, allowing more users to explore this powerful softsynth with ease.
Process any audio with Pigments
You can now process external audio in Pigments from the Utility engine, by routing the sound to the instrument through the track sidechain input. Additional FX routing options have also been integrated.
Compose in style
Pigment’s refreshed interface includes an improved play view, with new visualisers and other UX enhancements.
Melodize any sound in 1 click
Explore the new generative sequencer, featuring one-click sequence generation and new play modes, as well as saveable presets and sequence browsing. Make use of the sequencer lock to apply your sequence settings to any sound.
New curated content and sounds
Discover a selection of 100 new factory presets alongside new wavetables and samples in Pigments 5, comprising more than 1500 sounds.
New preset expansions
Explore an exclusive selection of sounds with Explorations; 3 new sound banks including 150 presets in each, showcasing a range of bold, colorful and expansive sounds that Pigments is renowned for.
"Bill Wolfer has referred to himself as "the least famous musician that everyone has heard play". He was a rising star in 80's Soul Music working with Stevie Wonder, Shalamar, Vanity, Dynasty and was responsible for programming and performing the iconic CS-80 synthesizer chord riff on Michael Jackson's biggest song 'Billie Jean'. Michael remembered a CS-80 sound he heard Bill play while they were on tour together and the rest is history.
This video provides a rare behind the scenes look at Michael Jackson's creative process while composing "Billy Jean" all the way through a detailed account of the final recording session at Westlake Studios. We discuss what it was like to work closely with producer Quincy Jones, engineer Bruce Swedien and of course Michael.
Bill was a trusted friend of Michael, someone that he could rely upon to develop his 3 original songs for the Thriller album - 'Billy Jean'. 'Beat" It', and 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’. Bill helped Michael feel comfortable working out musical ideas and played an important role getting Michael's original songs ready for the album.
He also put together a truly great unlikely hit solo album in the vein of Quincy Jones' The Dude. The lineup of musicians include mega-stars Stevie Wonder (harmonica solo), Michael Jackson (backing vocals on two cuts), Finis Henderson (vocals) and Gospel star Jon Gibson."
"Prepare your ears for an electrifying synth showdown! In this video, we embark on a journey of pure critical listening as we compare the Korg 2600m and the ARP 2600 Tonus model, one newcomer synthesizer and one Giant of Synthesizers! We'll begin with a mesmerizing solo performance, featuring my original composition played on the Korg 2600m and ARP 2600 Tonus. Next, we'll dive into a comparison of three legendary musical examples on both synthesizers, exposing some intricate details of each sound. Throughout the video, we'll be conducting shootouts to explore various aspects of these synthesizers: Waveforms: Exploring the sonic palette of different waveforms. VCF's (Voltage Controlled Filters): Uncovering the unique filtering capabilities. Envelope Generators: Analyzing the shaping similarities and differences Spring Reverb: Discovering the distinctive character and beauty of the 2600m 2 Voice Mode Capability: Exploring the dual-voice mode and its sonic potential. Finally, we'll wrap up with a comprehensive summary. I'll share my personal opinion on the strengths and characteristics of the Korg 2600m and ARP 2600 Tonus. Join us on this audio adventure where we rely solely on our ears to determine the winner in this epic Korg 2600m vs. ARP 2600 Tonus synth showdown. If you're passionate about synthesizers and critical listening, this video is a must-watch. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments below!
00:00 Original Music Track 01:57 Introduction 02:32 Korg 2600m Solo 04:08 Michaels Jackson's "Thriller" Bass 04:44 Logan's Run EFX Patch 05:44 Midnight Express "Chase" Bass 06:22 Waveform Shootout 10:26 Listening for subtlety in sounds 11:13 VCF Shootout 15:10 Like & Subscribe 15:28 ADSR Envelope Generator Shootout 19:29 AR Envelope Generator Shootout 22:17 2600m Reverb Demo 23:52 2 Voice Mode 26:11 Summary 27:10 Vibrato Patch 28:34 Original Music Outro ____________________________________ *ABOUT ANTHONY*
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including _*Young Guns*_ , _*Internal Affairs*_ , _*The Man From Elysian Fields*_ , _*15 Minutes*_ and _*Planes, Trains & Automobiles*_ , been commissioned by the *Los Angeles Philharmonic* for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as *Michael Jackson's* _*Thriller*_ .
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for *Quincy Jones* , *Jack Nitzsche* , *Lamont Dozier* , *Arthur Rubenstein* and *Giorgio Moroder* was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
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. 😅
"Enjoy this sound demo video showcasing sounds available in the new Yamaha MONTAGE M Series Synthesizers.
0:00 - 0:36 : AN-X Syn Orch Pat - AN-X Poly Synth with Polyphonic Aftertouch
0:37 - 1:00 : Hamburg Grand - AWM 2 Concert Grand Piano
1:01 - 1:19 : Sweet Synths - AN-X Poly Synth
1:20 - 1:48 : RD 67 Smooth - AWM2 1967 Tines E. Piano
1:49 - 2:10 : Classic Mini Sawlead - AN-X Mono Lead
2:11 - 2:35 C7 + Analog String Ensemb - AWM2 Yamaha C7 Grand Piano + AN-X String Ensemble
2:36 - 2:55 : Poly Dreams - AN-X Poly Synth
2:56 - 3:10 : SFZ Tremolo BPM Sync - AWM2 Tremolo Strings
3:11 - 3:49 : Distant Memories - AN-X Poly Synth
3:50 - 4:11 : Drawbar Organ - AWM2 Organ with YC Series VCM Rotary Speaker effect
4:12 - 4:29 : FM Piano + Soft Pad - FM-X E.Piano + Soft Pad
4:30 - 4:45 : Synthpop Forever - AN-X Poly Synth
4:46 - 5:05 : U1 Upright - AWM2 Yamaha U1 Upright Piano
5:06 - 5:31 : Dum Drum Bass - FM-X + AWM2 Poly Synth
Yamaha presents our next-generation flagship Synthesizer: MONTAGE M. Featuring three engines that create a variety of sounds – ultra-realistic instruments, vintage analog synths, and cutting-edge FM synths. For keyboardists, synthesists, and pianists, MONTAGE M seamlessly bridges stage and studio, unlocking new possibilities for sound, control and workflow."
NEW AN-X ENGINE
A revolution in authentic analog sound, control and behavior, the AN-X engine recreates the warm, classic sound of an analog synthesizer with a host of sophisticated modulation options.
･Three Oscillators with 5 waveforms (Saw 1, Saw2, Triangle, Square and Sine) and Noise Generator
･Two filters with 10 filter types
･Pulse width modulation
･Oscillator Self Sync
･Ring modulation, FM, and wave shaper
･Amp EG with drive
･LFO for both amplitude and filter,
･Voltage drift and aging settings to simulate vintage synth behavior
Integrated into the Motion Control system, the AN-X Engine allows you to create expressive, unique analog sounds to your heart’s content.
Improved AWM2 Experience realism and detail with MONTAGE M’s improved AWM2. Offering an incredible 128 Elements per part, AWM2 allows for smoother transitions, giving you an expansive canvas for ultra-high-definition sound creation, especially for “nameable” sounds such as piano and strings.
400 NOTE TOTAL POLYPHONY A significant upgrade from the original MONTAGE’s 256 notes, MONTAGE M offers up to 400 notes of polyphony across its three engines:
･128 notes for AWM2 Preset Waveform Parts
･128 notes for AWM2 User Waveform Parts
･128 notes for FM-X Parts
･16 notes for AN-X Parts
And more about sound AND MORE [PRESET WAVE AND FLASH MEMORY UPGRADE] MONTAGE M offers twice the memory over its predecessor with an increase from 5.67GB to 9.97GB of Preset Wave memory, and an increase from 1.75 to 3.8GB of User flash memory. Plus, you’ll find a host of new sounds and instruments, including pianos, orchestral instruments, drums, and more!
[FM-X] MONTAGE M rekindles the Yamaha legacy of expressive and dynamic FM Synthesis with its 8-operator FM-X engine, offering a wide variety of diverse tones: from crisp and bell-like, to edgy and aggressive, to mellow and evolving. This is an excellent complement to the AWM2 and AN-X engines.
[VCM ROTARY AND DRAWBAR BEHAVIOR] Using sophisticated modeling technology, the VCM Rotary Speaker effect simulates the rich and enveloping motion of a classic rotary speaker cabinet. Plus, the new organ drawbar fader setting simulates the vintage “pull out” drawbar organ behavior.
[16 LIBRARY LOCATIONS] With 16 Library slots at your disposal, you can house up to 10,240 additional Performances (that’s in addition to the over 2,700 performances in the presets), facilitating quick searches by Category, Name and Attributes.
[PURE ANALOG CIRCUIT 2] The upgraded Pure Analog Circuit included in MONTAGE M reduces noise and improves the dynamic range, crosstalk, low-frequency phase, and distortion rate, resulting in clearer sound at all volumes. You’ll also find the sound has more detailed low-mids and presence.
GEX ACTION WITH POLYPHONIC AFTERTOUCH (MONTAGE M8x ONLY) Available exclusively on MONTAGE M8x, GEX Action elevates your performance and sound creation with Polyphonic Aftertouch – a revered synth control found in the legendary CS-80 and DX1. Polyphonic Aftertouch allows you to individual modulate held notes with pressure. GEX also provides key repetition behavior typically found in grand pianos.
NEW PERFORMANCE CONTROLS MONTAGE M introduces new performance controls: a 5-segment ribbon controller with dedicated HOLD button, a new KEYBOARD HOLD button for sustaining chords while using knobs to edit, and a Portamento on/off button and dedicated Portamento time knob.
DEDICATED KEYBOARD, PART AND SCENE CONTROL You’ll find dedicated Keyboard, Part and Scene Control buttons to control 16 Parts per Performance. This intuitive control, particularly beneficial for live performances, improves overall usability and adds dimension to each Performance.
AND MORE [HIGH-RESOLUTION CONTROL] All the Performance Controls – from the Keyboard and Faders to the Super Knob and Sustain, as well as the Sound Engine, are now in High Resolution. Because of the fine resolution, you’ll find the MONTAGE M behaves in a smoother and more “analog” way.
[MOTION CONTROL SYNTHESIS ENGINE]This groundbreaking engine allows you to interact with sounds in a variety of ways, including Motion Sequences, which dynamically automate synth and effect parameters, and can even be synchronized to tempo; the Super Knob, which controls dozens of modulations in a single gesture; the Envelope Follower, which modulates sound from the A/D input or another Part; and many, many more ways!
[NEW AND IMPROVED LED LIGHTS AND COLORS] Enhanced LED lights and colors on MONTAGE M faders, Performance, Live Set and Category Search offer visible, instant feedback, vastly improving the user interface.
WORKFLOW
Expanded Creativity
EXPANDED SOFTSYNTH PLUGIN (E.S.P.) (COMING EARLY 2024)
A game-changer for musicians, the Expanded Softsynth Plugin (E.S.P.) replicates the MONTAGE M in your favorite Digital Workstation (DAW). Free for all registered MONTAGE M owners, E.S.P. allows you to create, edit and mix MONTAGE M Performances anywhere you happen to be – without the hardware – offering an unprecedented level of stage and studio integration. We are planning on releasing E.S.P. in Early 2024. The first version will have all the MONTAGE M sound while being limited to basic editing. The full version will be available in Summer 2024.
FASTER, MORE INTUITIVE NAVIGATION
Upgraded navigation enables quick, intuitive sound editing and operation. You’ll find features like a new 512 x 64 LCD screen, 6 touchscreen display knobs, and a PAGE JUMP button that moves what’s in the LCD screen over to the larger 7” TFT Color touchscreen for deeper editing. And the dedicated Navigation button shows an overview of a Performance. Just touch a graphical object in the screen to jump to that parameter for deeper editing. The dedicated Navigation button allows you go directly from the “surface” of a sound to the deepest part.
USB MIDI AND MULTICHANNEL AUDIO INTERFACE
Simplifying your studio setup, MONTAGE M offers a USB MIDI and multichannel 32 output/6 input audio interface. Streamline MIDI recording, virtual instrument monitoring, and multi-track audio recording through a single USB cable, so you can spend more time being creative.
AND MORE
[FASTER UI] MONTAGE M’s UI is significantly speedier than the previous generation. Plus, the overall look is cleaner and easier to see.
[CATEGORY SEARCH] Search for Performances by Category (Piano, Keyboard, etc.), Sub Category (Acoustic, Vintage, etc.),Name, and Attributes (AWM2, FM-X, AN-X, etc.).
[TWO USB-TO-DEVICE PORTS] Allows simultaneous connection of a flash drive (or drives!) and USB MIDI controllers.
[DEDICATED DAW REMOTE BUTTON] Use your MONTAGE M as a hardware controller for DAWs such as Cubase, Logic, ProTools and Live. Control the mixer, transport, softsynth plugins and more.
[NEW SHIFT BUTTONS] Two new Shift buttons make it effortless to access secondary functions, increasing overall functionality.
[COLOR-CODED BUTTONS and SLIDER LAMPS] Backlit LIVE SET and CATEGORY buttons are colored differently and clearly show mode function. New slider lamps show red LED value increments, while active Parts are illuminated in blue.
"I have to tell you about joystick modules because they've changed my ability to perform expressively on synthesizers that don't have expressive keyboards or sophisticated built-in controllers. A joy stick allows the user to expressively send control voltage signals according to varying positions of a stick. You can also use it to mix up to 4 different audio signals to create morphing complex sounds from simple sources. I'm demonstrating this type of controller using the Intelijel Planar which is a relatively inexpensive Euroack solution that can be integrated into many types of setups. In this video, I've integrated it with my ARP 2600 and show you how to control filter brightness and vibrato at the same time with one hand movement. It would otherwise be impossible to simultaneously change these two parameters while playing the keyboard with your other hand (without the joy stick). I've added some efx pedals to the sound to achieve a vocal quality that pairs well with the joystick modulations. There are many more uses for this expression controller, so stay tuned for more advanced applications and musical examples in upcoming videos.
Want to win the same model synthesizer used on THRILLER to make the iconic FROGGIE BASS sound? Visit the above link to find out how to enter. Hurry because the giveaway ends Oct 30th!
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"In this video I'll show you a simple technique that I use to breakdown a sound when I need to re-create it. The most important weapon you have for programming a sound is your listening skills. I always take a deep breath before getting started. Quieting my mind in this way usually helps me understand what I'm hearing better. This example is a very simple one oscillator patch so it's a great one for try out this technique.
The flutey lead from Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. is a cool counter line that enters for the 1st time in the 2nd verse of the song. It really gives the second verse a lift, almost floating feeling over a very funky groove. The waveform is a triangle wave which has a minimal amount of harmonic content. That's one main reason why it can be up in the mix and not interfere with the lead vocal. I used a Minimoog to create the sound for the track, but you can make this sound accurately on almost any synth including plugins. A lot of the personality of the sound comes from the performance including the use of vibrato via the pitch wheel. Experiment with playing the vibrato in a similar way as Greg Phillinganes (the original performer). This will help you understand the level of nuance that is possible. He's the master of it. And always remember the most important thing about any sound is when it occurs in the song and what notes are being played. Who is playing it doesn't hurt either, so be sure to interject your own thing into everything you do!
Want to win the same model synthesizer used on THRILLER to make the iconic FROGGIE BASS sound? Visit the above link to find out how to enter. Hurry because the giveaway ends Oct 30th!
In this series Anthony breaks down some of the most icons synthesizer patches that he programmed for Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"I've Always wanted to breakdown the opening bass sound to 'Tom Sawyer' by Rush. The introduction is so memorable that it sticks with us as much as the verse and chorus of the song. I'm using an Oberheim OBX which is the same model synthesizer used by Rush. Because of this, I can achieve a very close match compared to the sound on the album. In this video, I will show you the precise oscillator waveforms, modulations, filter and envelope setting so you can re-create this sound on almost any synth you have. Most importantly, the skills you learn on this channel about how to breakdown the sounds you hear on famous recordings will help you tailor any preset into a perfect fit for the records you are making. Also, I hope you are experimenting with merging all the tips and techniques from my other videos with the info you learn from breakdowns like this. Putting that together will bring you a step closer to being able to create any sound you hear in your head See you next time, Anthony
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major."
The following is the latest press release from OXI Instruments for their new Coral eurorack module. It claims that Coral is the only "multitimbral synthesizer module marketed for Eurorack", but there are others as you can see in previous posts here, including the Mayer M800 (16 voice in 4 parts), Ryk Vector Wave (16/4 as well), Percussa SSP, and Rossum Assimil8or (8 part though sample based). If you know of others, feel free to leave a comment. Regardless, OXI Instruments Coral is an impressive module. You can find demos of it in previous posts here.
The press release follows:
OXI Instruments introduces Coral as only multitimbral synthesizer module marketed for Eurorack, empowering users to create basslines, drones, drums, pads, and riffs
NIGRÁN, PONTEVEDRA, SPAIN: having hitherto made musical waves with its inaugural OXI One product release as a battery-powered performative sequencer, controller, and composition tool with four fully-independent sequencers (originally raising 1,178% of its fixed funding goal with American crowdfunding website Indiegogo in 2021 and regularly updated with new features since shipping), inspirational and innovative music-making tools-crafter OXI Instruments is proud to announce (limited stock) availability of Coral as the only multitimbral synthesizer module marketed for Eurorack — embracing eight-voice polyphony (freely splittable into different parts and allowing every parameter to be independently set for each voice or part) and several sound engines (each assignable to different voices) all accessible via a colourful, organic interface arranged around an anodised and beautifully silk-printed aluminium panel, premium finished with custom aluminium knobs, empowering users to create basslines, drones, drums, pads, and riffs while effortlessly manipulating voices independently to craft complex patches out of the box — as of August 30…
Ultimately utilising lots of computing power to deliver rich-sounding engines in an eight-voice package that could conceivably be termed the ultimate multitimbral synthesizer — depending on the sound engine involved, one voice can have up to eight oscillators, meaning up to 64 oscillators playing at once making for a massive sound, for example, Coral can be played in a number of ways. While it is fair to say that it breaks free from conventional polyphonic synthesizer behaviour, Coral can conveniently be played polyphonically using only one CV (control Voltage) and gate connection, allocating a new voice every time it registers a new note — be that part of an arpeggio, strummed chord, or pad with long decayed notes — on the oct (V/Oct) input. Independent filter, amplifier, and modulation envelopes are available to each of those voices — in fact, every parameter can be independently set for each voice, including individual effect sends! It is also possible to play all eight voices in unison — all voices playing the same note for drones and thick textures, as well as triggering the internal envelopes with the trig input or directly controlling the amplifier level with the amp CV.
Coral also benefits from full MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) integration, meaning multitimbral operation is a given while also allowing for control over any part’s parameter via MIDI CC (Continuous Controller) commands. Indeed, its eight voices can be freely split into different parts; this time, every parameter can be independently set for each part to craft complex patches out of the box. But there’s more: once those voices have been grouped across different parts, users can distribute the modulation signals across them using the part CV; so, for instance, if there are two parts, the first part will be addressed if the part CV voltage is between 0 and 2.5V while the second will be addressed if the voltage is between 2.5 and 5V.
But better still, several sound engines can be assigned to each of Coral’s voices; included instances available from the outset are Virtual Analog, Waveshaping, FM (Frequency Modulation), custom Wavetable, MDO (Multiple Detuned Oscillator), String, HiHat Synth, Snare Synth, Digital Kick, and Wav Player, now boosted by new Additive with Wavefolder and Diode Distortion additions. As one such sound engine implies by name, Coral supports almost any kind of WAV file — 16-, 24-, and 32-bit mono or stereo — with no limit to playback time! Thinking outside the box comes easily when working with Coral — add overdrive to samples, sculpt them using the filters and envelopes, pitch them up and down in tune, and even modulate the sample file or folder in real time using the CV inputs or MIDI CC commands! It is possible to load any wavetable WAV file to the SD card for Coral’s Wavetable engine; wavetables can even be morphed into three dimensions using OXI Instruments’ OXI Wave app — based on the amazing Wave Edit app created by Andrew Belt — that makes creating and editing them both fun and interesting in equal measures.
Clearly, Coral can go far beyond the realms of a conventional polyphonic synthesizer, then, thanks to the comprehensive voice management and manipulation on offer. On the face of it, those powerful sound engines speak volumes in and of themselves — as does Coral’s full-featured polyphonic sample playback plus built-in space (deep atmosphere) and chorus (rich ensemble) effects potential. It is, indeed, the only eight-voice polyphonic, multi-engine, multi- part synthesizer module marketed for Eurorack, one whose freedom of voice management is even hard to match in desktop gear. Going from rich polyphonic patches to a fully-fledged groove box with basslines, drums, and leads comes quickly to Coral, which, of course, can be fully controlled using MIDI and CV — or both! All available to all in a compact (14HP) form factor for a reasonable price — particularly when pitched against a conventional polyphonic synthesizer.
“The introduction of Mutable Instruments’ Plaits module was a revolution in terms of compact, multi-engine synth voice modules,” maintains OXI Instruments CEO & CTO Manuel Vázquez Rodríguez, good-heartedly giving credit where credit is due before digging deeper to end on a high note: “Thanks to their open source contributions, we have taken some of their algorithms and put them into a tasty, compact package that contains eight ‘instances’ of that module with custom-developed engines alongside new ingredients like independent envelopes and filters per voice, effects, full MIDI implementation, and a colourful, organic interface. On top of that, custom wavetables and a sample playback engine are also available per voice. But we didn’t want to just create another polyphonic synth, so, to allow users to make the most of every voice, we’ve introduced the multi-part concept. Consequently, users can arrange and use the eight voices as they wish — with eight monophonic parts, one polyphonic part of eight voices, or any combination thereof, such as two polyphonic parts of three voices each, plus two monophonic voices in the same module, meaning Coral can be corralled into acting as a versatile and powerful polysynth, drum machine, groovebox, and sound exploration module... all at the same time! We won’t stop there, though, adding more features in future through regular firmware updates — just like we’ve been doing with OXI One!”
"In this video, Anthony begins a light-hearted search to uncover the mystery of the 'Frog Bass' sound that occurs during the break down section of Michael Jackson’s song - 'Thriller'. He’ll discuss why it was recorded, who played it and what the instrument was. Quincy and Michael were always looking for unusual ear-catching sounds during the making of Thriller. Since Quincy was a world class composer, arranger and orchestrator it made sense that he would want to introduce a new sound later in the song to keep the listener surprised. This bright edgy sound is much like adding a bassoon double to a contra-bass part in traditional orchestral music. It adds more presence to the bass part and makes it pop out of the speakers. Anthony meets with his long time friend Steven Ray (co-host of Michael Jackson’s Thriller Album Stories in the Room podcast) to hear his story about the “Frog Bass”. Steven tells us that Quincy had a Casiotone CT-401 and brought that instrument into the studio along with possibly some other portable Casio keyboards to record the “Frog” preset. Anthony also heard that James Ingram may have suggested the sound or it could have been Rod Temperton that had the idea. We know for sure that it was played by Michael’s keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. Anthony confirmed this with Greg, but he was unsure of the actual keyboard model. The search to find more information about this zany sound will continue on this channel until we have exhausted conversations with everyone that was in the room during the making of Thriller. The lesson here is that interesting sounds are all around us and don’t always require expensive vintage synthesizers or even today’s state-of-the-art plugin instruments. Sometimes what we need is sitting right in front of us. And when we use our imaginations in this way, we may stumble upon something remarkable for decades of listeners to ponder.
In this series Anthony breaks down some of the most icons synthesizer patches that he programmed for Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"In this video, Anthony tells the story surrounding the musical score from (1986) hit film Stand by Me which features an All-Star cast that incudes River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, John Cusack and Richard Dreyfuss.
We learn that the first version of the film was titled The Body, named after the novel by Stephen King. The film's director, Rob Reiner intuitively changed the film's name to Stand by Me after licensing the rights to the song with the same name written by Ben E. King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The name change was made only one week before the film's delivery date. With little time to spare, the musical score was re-created using the sounds and melody from the song and performed on the Synclavier Digital Music System using it's on board sequencer/recorder and employing a sound modeling technique unique to the Synclavier called "Resynthesis".
Anthony describes "Resynthesis"as creating synthesizer sounds based on samples analyzed by the computer that use cross fades of back-to-back wave tables. "Resynthesis" gives you the tonal character of the original sampled sound with all the benefits of a synth (e.g less memory, same length across the keyboard, more editing capabilities...) Along with Brian Banks, Anthony programmed all the sounds and replayed the entire score in this way after the original score by Oscar Winning composer Jack M. Nietzsche was abandoned. The film's director Rob Reiner was present throughout the scoring process. The duo had just completed work programming and performing Jack's score for the John Carpenter Oscar Nominated film Starman.
In this video you'll hear the actual sounds used in the film that Anthony loads from the original 5.25" floppy disks (that still work perfectly after being in storage for close to 40 years). The final score used a core instrumentation of resynthesized versions of a flute, stand up bass, bowed wine glasses and piano. There was no DAW in existence so all the tracks were input into the Synclavier's internal sequencer/recorder and locked to picture using the latest feature SMPTE time code. With this set up, everyone could watch the film while the music was being recorded.
Anthony also states the importance of a good film or a good song. It's all the difference in the potential of your work as a programmer, arranger or performer. He advises to step back and really listen to what you are creating to find the emotion in the sounds.
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"In this video Kevin Maloney and I demonstrate how the intro to 1985 Grammy winning song “We Are the World” (written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson) was constructed. The synthesizer sounds on the original recording were programmed by Kevin on the Synclavier II Digital Music System using its FM synthesizer engine. We break down the patches for all the featured sounds in the intro including a special sound described by the song’s producer Quincy Jones as “Golden Bells”. This sound was created to “send out bells to call all the people of the world to come and hear this song”. The music, lyrics, performances and production were a worldwide commercial success. The song topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history. "We Are the World" received a Quadruple Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, becoming the first single to be certified multi-platinum. The promotion and merchandise helped raise more than $63 million at that time for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"This song by German pop/rock group 'Karussell' became quite famous around 1989 when revolution started in the eastern part of Germany and many people left the country. The main instruments I'm playing here are the Vermona Synthesizer and the Vermona Piano Strings."
"In this video Kevin Maloney and I demonstrate how the intro sound on “Beat It” from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album is constructed on the Synclavier II using four partial timbres from the FM synthesizer engine playing all at once (with heavy chorusing). The sound can be found on preset bank 2, entry 5 named 'Pop Tune Intro' on factory preset disk #3. The sound first appeared on the recording titled:
'The Incredible Sounds of Synclavier II Demonstration Record' released by New England Digital in 1981. The preset was later played by Tom Bahler on his Synclavier II for the “Beat It” recording with only Tom, Michael and engineer Bruce Swedien in the room. Tom was the person that introduced Michael and Quincy to the Synclavier. We also point out that the sound can be in your hands today using various released inexpensive versions of the Synclavier.
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
"In this video Kevin Maloney demonstrates how the intro sound on “Beat It” from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was inspired by the blue vinyl LP titled The Incredible Sounds of Synclavier II [embedded below and previously posted here - you can find pics of the record and included brochures here. There's currently one on eBay for $259.95 here]. Kevin and Anthony Marinelli show you how the sound was programmed and performed in the studio for Michael to use on “Beat It”. This video also contains the story behind the sound and highlights how far Michael would go to satisfy his appetite for unusual sounds.
In this series Anthony breaks down some of the most icons synthesizer patches that he programmed for Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
