VIVALDI - Autumn Part 2 on SIX Korg ARP Odysseys

video upload by Richard Payne

"He knocked it out the park did Vivaldi, with Autumn Part 2. I had it programmed and up on the ARPs for a couple of weeks before I filmed it this afternoon. Was a one take wonder this time, but I had been fiddling with it for a fortnight. And it's very hard to mess up this one.

The Odyssey FS keyboard (on it's side) is taking place of Odyssey #3 (still at the repair place ...) and is handling the 'not needing to be filldled with' bass. Top left (#1) is playing the PWM'd arpeggio. #2, #4 & #5 are playing the 'string' parts and #6 is on sub bass and white noise duties. It's being modulated by it's LFO on the lowest rate.

There's no EQ or mixing going on but I did lean into Ableton's Delay on the Arpeggio and Sub Bass / Wind synths and everything was fed through Arturia's lovely LX-24 Reverb.

Thanks again for watching!"

VIVALDI - Autumn Part 1 on SIX (5) ARP Odysseys

video upload by Richard Payne

"Been having a pop at Autumn Part 1 these last few days and this take I recorded (take 111!) has come out slightly 'dystopian' sounding and synthy. Have pushed the filters a bit more. There’s a bit of overdrive in places and some wobbly 'pitchy' stuff happening. But lots going on and lots of things to remember to do. Or not to do. This take here was only the 4th time I’d made it to the end, and the first and only without completely ballsing it up.

Odyssey #3 was briefly back in the fold last week and was ably handling the sub bass part all on it’s own, but it started going wrong again and has been taken back to the repair shop. So to cover that part here, I’m bringing in and out oscillator 2 on Odyssey #6, which is set to a square wave an octave down. I’d say a good 80 of those earlier takes that I mucked up were ruined by me forgetting to do this, or doing it badly, or at completely the wrong time. There’s a 'high jeopardy' patch change happening on Odyssey #1 too which I liked to get wrong, transitioning from a short filtery harmony part at the beginning to a long square wave lead line for the slow bit towards the end.

As before, I got the Midi parts online and processed them in Ableton Live. I combined and reduced them down from the 24 orchestral parts to the 5 here. Fixed up a few dodgy notes. Probably added a few of my own. Then I tempo matched to an orchestral performance of the piece, which is probably the fiddliest and most time consuming bit. There were a few more evenings messing with note lengths and refining the tempos further. So, I’ve been using Korg’s Odyssey plugins up to this point in the process, slouching on the sofa on my laptop, but the next step is to move into my little music room and to practice on the actual ones. Spent a couple more evenings working things out there and then a couple of days trying to film a good run through.

It’s certainly tricky trying to adjust each part as dynamically as I’d like when they’re all coming at me in one big terrifying lump. I’m not mixing or even EQ’ing afterwards so I’m battling to keep a good audible balance between the synths as I go. If I get too involved or too “two-handy” on a synth for too long, I’m neglecting the other four and I’ve missed 5 other things I wanted to do. So I’m relying quite a lot on the Decay slider in the envelope section, as it seems to offer a one-stop dynamic shop that I can adjust on two synths at the same time. I’ve modded all of the Odysseys to have a free-running LFOs also, so I can introduce a slow LFO to the filters to keep them shifting about on their own whilst I adjust something else elsewhere.

I have started re-recording these pieces 'properly', one Odyssey at a time, with view to putting them up somewhere for streaming or perhaps even pressing them onto vinyl. Would sound good on record I reckon. You reckon? And I have a whole shelf full of peculiar synthesizer albums from the 60’s and 70’s that it would be an honour to mingle with.

But hey, thank you so much, everyone who showed up and watched the last video. For all the views and subscriptions and above all, the kind and encouraging comments. That was nuts. I didn’t know you lot were coming! Absoutely amazing and thank you sincerely again.

Oh, to wrap up, here the Odysseys are going balanced out into a Behringer ADA-8200 Interface, which is optically connected into the Adat In of my UAD Apollo. They get their 5 channels of Midi note on, note off information down USB from Ableton Live which is in turn recording the audio coming back. I added some Hall Reverb from Arturia’s LX-24 but nothing has been EQ’d. It’s all how it comes out of the lovely boxes. I did however have a Limiter on the main channel, to put a bit of a lid on some of the more feisty bits.

Toodles!"

VIVALDI - Summer Part 3 on SIX (5) Arp ODYSSEYS

video upload by Richard Payne

"Vivaldi's Summer Part 3.

Pretty hectic, this last chapter from Summer! Lots of 16th notes rattling along at the same time. Took a bit of programming to whittle it all down to these 5 monophonic parts. Then I slowed the tempo quite a lot compared to most of the recorded versions I've listened to.

Pretty chuffed with how it turned out though. I added a bit of Reverb from Arturia's LX-24 but other than that there was no EQ or processing.

Odyssey #3 should be home from the repair shop before too long so I can finally retire that colour photocopy ..."

A search on Richard Payne Vivaldi will bring up all parts.

VIVALDI - Autumn Part 1 (excerpt) on SIX (5) Korg Arp Odysseys

video upload by Richard Payne

"Was programming in the MIDI notes for Part 3 of Summer (it’s coming …) when I got sidetracked by this lovely bit of Autumn.

Vivaldi’s accompanying sonnet describes this moment as “the drunkards have fallen asleep” which, 10 days into my sobriety I’m enjoying a lot. Vicariously.

One of my favourite things on the Odyssey is the ability to have the White Noise from the S&H section modulating the Filter. Giving it a sort of grainy, crackly sound. I do this a lot and you can hear it on Odyssey #1 and #4 at the very start, each playing single notes panned slightly left and right.

There’s some Reverb from UAD’s Lexicon 224 but other than that, absolutely no other processing or EQ.

Oh, as I mentioned before, Odyssey #3 got damaged on the boat to Australia from the UK and while it's waiting to be repaired is being (well) represented here by a colour photocopy, sellotaped onto some cardboard."

You can find additional VIVALDI performances by Richard Payne here.

Photokarpy#3 - Arpeggios on SIX (5) Korg ARP Odysseys

video upload by Richard Payne

"Just a quick Sunday Afternoon test of my ARP Odysseys. The free-running LFO mods I did are just the ticket here but a couple definitely need their Oscillators calibrating. I'm especially looking at you #1! A job for this afternoon ...

When I moved from Bristol to Perth, Australia 2 years ago, ARP #3 didn't enjoy the voyage, refused to power up when we got here and is currently with the good technicians at EAV in Morley. It is being represented here by a colour photocopy (photokarpy) sellotaped onto some cardboard.

But there are lots of plans afoot for myself and the Odysseys.

Ambient gigs, Raves, Classical stuff, Weddings, Sausage Sizzles ...

I'll keep yous posted."

DX5 playing Visage "Fade to Grey" (With added Simmons Drums)

video upload by DX5

"Updating an instrumental cover I had already recorded over a decade ago, in this case adding a Simmons tom at the end of the song as on the original version.

Gear used live:
Upper Left: Roland MRS-2 Promars.
Mid left: Roland JP8000
Upper right: Simmons SDS 8 analogue drum module (Note: the pad is not Simmons)
Bottom right: Roland D-10


Backtrack previously sequenced and recorded, instrument by instrument, by me, including a DX7 bassline.

Original song composed by Billy Currie, Christopher Payne, Midge Ure (I would add Steve Harrington, Rusty Egan and Richard James Burgess by their contribution too).

Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

VIVALDI - Summer Part 2 on SIX Arp ODYSSEYS

video upload by Richard Payne

Part 1 here

"Summer Part 2 (side B?) is great. Lovely melody. Nice and slow. There's a musical term for that tempo. Al Dente I think.

Added a little more filth from the Odysseys here. There's a nice fuzzy / crackly sound you can get from sending white noise from the sample & hold section to the filter. I chucked some of that on and a bit more white noise on the noisey bits.

As before. I grabbed hold of the score, whittled it down into 6 tracks for the Odysseys and programmed the MIDI into Ableton. Well, 5 tracks really. The Odyssey FS on it's side is doing the Doof.

Ableton is spitting out MIDI to the six Odysseys here over USB and I'm fidgeting around with them and recording the audio back into Ableton. I added a bit of Reverb and EQ from Ableton and there you have it. Filmed on my iPhone.

Boom! So Part 3 is up next and that's a flippin' doozie! Giddyup!!"

VIVALDI - Summer Part 1 on SIX Arp ODYSSEYS

video upload by Richard Payne

"It's Summer! And I DO flipping love an Arp Odyssey ...

I ended up buying a couple after I sold my modular synth in 2020 and since then have been picking them up as and when I can afford them. Or when there has been a little space on a credit card for one.

I played the 3 that I rackmounted at a friends wedding a little while ago, under the guise of Richard Payne: Wedding Synthesist! I did half an hour of classical followed by the 'Here Comes The Bride' and the 'There Goes The Bride" classics. Sort of like what a church organist would do. But sounding a bit more like the Clockwork Orange soundtrack.

Anyway, it was a huge amount of fun and so when I'm not using them to make bleepy beats I've been fiddling with the classical stuff for my own amusement. Who knows, maybe the Wedding Synthesist will ride again!

So, to make these 'pieces' I downloaded a few different scores from t'interwebs and programmed the midi into Ableton. Had to compile and correct a few things and also choose my favourite handful of parts so I could cover the 24 or so instruments with my 6 Odysseys. I matched the tempo changes against a couple of recorded versions of the piece and then added a 'donk' on a spare Odyssey for good measure.

The synths are being controlled by Ableton but for the wedding gig I recorded the midi onto an old Yamaha MDF2 so I didn't have to use my laptop.

I'll get onto Part 2 next and sling it up on here ..." Update: you can find Part 2 here.

An Interview with Barry Schrader

Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in.  New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process.  If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com.  This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!

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Last call! "I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition"

"I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition" 2013 official trailer from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

** Ordering closes on April 30 **

"I Dream Of Wires" is an upcoming, independent documentary about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine.

"Hardcore Edition": This Limited Edition, 4-hour Extended Cut is available to pre-order exclusively from http://idreamofwires.org until April 30. This pre-order is your only opportunity to see "I Dream Of Wires" in all of it's 4-hour Hardcore glory! BluRay/2xDVD copies will ship to all pre-order customers in June, and then it's gone.

"I'll buy it when it comes out" you say? Sorry - the 4-hour, limited Hardcore Edition will not be available to order after April 30, period, so it's now or never... We will not be releasing the Hardcore Edition digitally, ever. So order your BluRay/DVD copy now, via http://idreamofwires.org.


Blu-Ray / 2-DVD is available to order NOW - ships in June. Strictly limited edition 4-hour cut, available to order until April 30, exclusively via http://idreamofwires.org ... and then it's gone.

ARE YOU HARDCORE? Placing your order before April 30 is your only option to own the extended "Hardcore Edition" cut.

--

"I Dream of Wires" (IDOW) is an upcoming, independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. IDOW is written and directed by Robert Fantinatto, with Jason Amm (Ghostly International recording artist Solvent) serving as producer and co-writer.

Preceding IDOW's official theatrical release, we will be releasing this special, extended cut: "I Dream Of Wires (Hardcore Edition)" (IDOW-HE) will be released independently on BluRay / 2xDVD, and shipped to all IndieGoGo and pre-order customers, June 2013. IDOW-HE is for the hardcore modular synthesizer and electronic music fanatics, and will run approximately 4 hours long (!).

IDOW-HE is a strictly limited-edition item, available to order exclusively through idreamofwires.org from 2/11 - 4/30, 2013. It's bound to sell out in pre-orders, so don't sleep...
IDOW-HE BluRay / 2xDVD is available to pre-order now:
http://idreamofwires.org/order

"Themogene (I Dream Of Wires theme)", from the forthcoming IDOW original soundtrack album by Solvent, is available to listen/download in its entirety via Ghostly International on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/ghostly/solvent-themogene

Additional music/sounds featured in this trailer: Container, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Richard Devine, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Gert Jalass (Moon Modular), Richard Lainhart, Solvent, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Keith Fullerton Whitman.

"Who said that?" (in order of appearance): Brad Garton, Dean Batute, Maggie Payne, Bernie Krause, William Maginnis, Terry Pender, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Benge (John Foxx and the Maths), Vince Clarke (Erasure), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), David Kronemeyer, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Carl Craig, James Holden, Richard Devine, Luke Abbott, Tony Rolando (Make Noise), Flood, Trent Reznor (NiN/How To Destroy Angels), Dieter Doepfer, Dominic Butler (Factory Floor), Paul Schreiber (Synthesis Technology/MOTM), David Kronemeyer, Eric Barbour (Metasonix), George Mattson, William Mathewson (WMD), Tony Rolando, Eric Barbour, Daniel Miller, Drew Neumann, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Andreas Schneider (SchneidersBuero), Eric Barbour, Scott Jaeger (The Harvestman), Andreas Schneider, Dieter Doepfer, Chris Carter (X-TG/Chris & Cosey), Charlie Clouser, Danjel Van Tijn (Intellijel), John Tejada, Drumcell, Legowelt, Alessandro Cortini (SONOIO/ex-NiN), John Foxx, Deadmau5, James Husted (Synthwerks), Paul Barker (Malekko/ex-Ministry), Container, Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy), Robert A.A. Lowe, Trent Reznor, Gur Milstein (TipTop Audio), Gary Numan.

http://idreamofwires.org
http://vimeo.com/idreamofwires
http://facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary

"I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition" 2013 Official Trailer

"I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition" 2013 official trailer from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

"I Dream of Wires" (IDOW) is an upcoming, independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. Written and directed by Robert Fantinatto, with Jason Amm (Ghostly International recording artist Solvent) serving as producer and co-writer, IDOW is set to receive it's festival premiere, May 2013.

Preceding IDOW's official theatrical release, we will be releasing this special, extended cut: "I Dream Of Wires (Hardcore Edition)" (IDOW-HE) will be released independently on BluRay / 2xDVD, and shipped to all IndieGoGo and pre-order customers, June 2013. IDOW-HE is for the hardcore modular synthesizer and electronic music fanatics, and will run approximately 4 hours long (!).

IDOW-HE is a strictly limited-edition item, available to order exclusively through idreamofwires.org from 2/11 - 5/31, 2013. It's bound to sell out in pre-orders, so don't sleep...
IDOW-HE BluRay / 2xDVD is available to pre-order now:
http://idreamofwires.org/order

"Themogene (I Dream Of Wires theme)", from the forthcoming IDOW original soundtrack album by Solvent, is available to listen/download in its entirety via Ghostly International on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/ghostly/solvent-themogene

Additional music/sounds featured in this trailer: Container, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Richard Devine, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Gert Jalass (Moon Modular), Richard Lainhart, Solvent, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Keith Fullerton Whitman.

"Who said that?" (in order of appearance): Brad Garton, Dean Batute, Maggie Payne, Bernie Krause, William Maginnis, Terry Pender, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Benge (John Foxx and the Maths), Vince Clarke (Erasure), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), David Kronemeyer, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Carl Craig, James Holden, Richard Devine, Luke Abbott, Tony Rolando (Make Noise), Flood, Trent Reznor (NiN/How To Destroy Angels), Dieter Doepfer, Dominic Butler (Factory Floor), Paul Schreiber (Synthesis Technology/MOTM), David Kronemeyer, Eric Barbour (Metasonix), George Mattson, William Mathewson (WMD), Tony Rolando, Eric Barbour, Daniel Miller, Drew Neumann, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Andreas Schneider (SchneidersBuero), Eric Barbour, Scott Jaeger (The Harvestman), Andreas Schneider, Dieter Doepfer, Chris Carter (X-TG/Chris & Cosey), Charlie Clouser, Danjel Van Tijn (Intellijel), John Tejada, Drumcell, Legowelt, Alessandro Cortini (SONOIO/ex-NiN), John Foxx, Deadmau5, James Husted (Synthwerks), Paul Barker (Malekko/ex-Ministry), Container, Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy), Robert A.A. Lowe, Trent Reznor, Gur Milstein (TipTop Audio), Gary Numan.

http://idreamofwires.org
http://vimeo.com/idreamofwires 
http://facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary

Casio Tone VL-5 with Casio MS-1 Bar Code Scanner

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. VL5.mov

Uploaded on May 7, 2010 Richard Payne·26 videos
Video was linked in the auction below for demo purposes.

via this auction

"Casio VL-Tone Super Rare Mini Electronic Musical Instrument VL-5. Condition: Excellent working condition. Battery cover is included with some minor blemishes as seen in the pictures. The LCD has slight burning. This is an ultra rare VL Tone. Includes the equally rare Casio MS-1 Bar Code Scanner. This quite rare keyboard was the polyphonic successor of the famous Casio VL-Tone 1. It has 10 simple preset sounds. The rhythms are more complex to select than the VL-Tone 1. By an optical barcode reader pen (Casio MS-1) songs can be scanned from special barcode song books into the internal sequencer memory. The sequencer is monophonic, and you can manually play to it..."

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