BOARDS OF CANADA - Sundown (Synth Cover - Sequential Prophet REV2)

video upload by nicola neeco

"This is my cover of Sundown by Boards of Canada, from Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp Records, 2013).

This piece has always felt deeply emotional to me. Before studying it, I assumed it would be quite complex, but it turns out the core idea is surprisingly simple and elegant.
The key lies in the tuning of the oscillators: setting them in a perfect fifth interval (for example, Osc 1: C, Osc 2: G) creates that characteristic BOC sound.

For the sound design, I started from a patch I originally built for Corsair. The two tracks share a similar foundation, especially in how the dual oscillators interact through that fifth interval tuning.
The patch is played on the Sequential Prophet Rev2, with (a lot of) Valhalla VintageVerb and Delay"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Under the coke sign (COVER - Prophet REV2 & Elektron Analog Heat+FX)

video upload by nicola neeco

"Gear & Setup
Recreating Boards of Canada’s 'Under the Coke Sign' using the Sequential Prophet Rev2 and Elektron Analog Heat+FX. (Patches made from scratch)
Two custom patches on the Prophet: left hand for the bass line; right hand leverages the chord memory function: hold desired notes and hit unison to trigger full chords with a single finger.

Processing & Sound
The Analog Heat+FX provides warm saturation, EQ shaping, and the warble module, which introduces the characteristic background tape noise heard throughout."

AUTECHRE - Yulquen (COVER - Nord Lead 2X)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I recreated 'Yulquen' by Autechre as faithfully as possible, using only a Nord Lead 2X and performing everything in a single take.

My goal was to get as close as I could to the original sound and feel, while staying fully committed to one instrument and one live performance.

This wasn’t about making a perfect copy: it was about studying the details, the movement, and the character of the track, then trying to bring that language to life through synthesis alone.

While I tried to stay as faithful as possible to the original sound world, I also gave myself the freedom to bend the harmony slightly, adding a few extra notes in the bass and letting the low end speak a little more. It’s still the same DNA, but with a small twist in the shadows.

Now I’m curious to know what you think: did the changes feel natural, or did they pull the track away from the original spirit?

Drop a comment and tell me if you like the new harmonic hints in the bass, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Gear used:
Nord Lead 2X
Valhalla Vintageverb plugin
Valhalla Delay plugin

(I made these patches from scratch)"

APHEX TWIN - Pulsewidth COVER (Elektron Digitakt2, Roland SH01a, Prophet REV2)

video upload by nicola neeco

"Recreating Aphex Twin’s “Pulsewidth” using modern hardware synths: the Elektron Digitakt II, Roland SH-01A, and Sequential Prophet Rev2.

This is my cover version of one of the most iconic tracks from Selected Ambient Works 85–92, carefully crafted to capture its hypnotic pulse and raw analog character.

To rebuild the drum section true to the original, I used Roland R-8 drum samples (the same machine Aphex Twin used) loaded into the Digitakt II, and programmed its sequencer for the rhythmic patterns.
And for the iconic melody the same sample Aphex used: the first seconds of the track Butterfly Holocaust by Neutron 9000."

DANIEL AVERY - Ultra Truth (Prophet REV2 synth cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"This Daniel Avery's track is one of my favorites in these last months. so I tried to recreate this beautiful melody with my Prophet REV2.
To make this patch I started from the factory patch Sitcom Piano (F1 P38) which I modified a bit

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2
Soundtoys Echoboy Delay
Valhalla Vintageverb"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Kaini Industries (Roland SH-01A Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I've been playing this synth a lot lately, so I said to myself: why not do a version of kaini industries with it? Even though I already did a version with the Prophet REV2 [below]
Which one do you prefer between the two? 😉

(I made this patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Roland SH-01A
Valhalla Vintageverb"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Kaini Industries (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
video upload by nicola neeco

"I re-created one of my favorite BOC tunes, from the album Music Has the Right to Children (1998, Warp Records & Skam records)

gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8-voice version)
Valhalla VintageVerb
u-he Satin tape machine plugin"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Davie Addison (Roland SH-01A Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I love these short BOC's tracks

(I made this patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Roland SH-01A
Valhalla Vintageverb"

Novation 49SL MkII

BOARDS OF CANADA - Carcan (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"Here's my version of BOC's Carcan from BOC Maxima (1996).
For this cover, I used this patch I made a few days ago because I like it 😉 even if it's not the same as the original, but I think it has a similar 'BOC vibe'.
As a final touch I used the Wavesfactory Cassette plugin, which is my favorite for re-creating the sound of tape cassette

(I made this patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 voices)
Wavesfactory Cassette plugin
Valhalla Vintageverb plugin

Instagram: / nicolaneeco"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Beware the Friendly Stranger (Prophet REV2 Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"I love BOC’s short tracks & interludes: they’re little gems, always full of details just like the complete tracks.

I made this cover slower than the original and without the crackling background noise so you can fully appreciate this beautiful melody.

This track is also featured in Salad Fingers, the British animated web series created by ‪@davidfirth‬ in 2004 (a series with a very good foley and sound design, in my opinion)

(I made this patch from scratch)

gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 voices)

follow me on Instagram: / nicolaneeco

Beware the Friendly Stranger, from Geogaddi (Warp Records, 2002)"

APHEX TWIN - Z Twig (#17) (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"One of my favorites from the Selected Ambient Works vol.2 album (1994 Warp Records).
For this cover I used the Prophet onboard bbd delay, then I added some reverb (my usual Vintageberb).
The patch it's quite simple: a single oscillator, square wave.


(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 Voices)
Valhalla Vintageverb"

APHEX TWIN - Tha (Elektron Syntakt & Sequential Prophet REV2 Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"my version of another Richard D. James classic: Tha from Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (R&S Records, 1992). for the occasion here's a new combo: the Prophet REV2 with my new Elektron Syntakt (I love it 🔥) I programmed the Syntakt, and in the video it plays in song mode.

(I made these patches from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2
Elektron Syntakt
Valhalla Vintageverb"

BOARDS OF CANADA - Corsair (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"Here' s my version of this wonderful track by Boards of Canada from Geogaddi (2002, Warp Records)
The Prophet is in split mode with two almost identical patches, to match the original I applied some eq.

(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2
FabFilter ProQ3
U-he Satin Tape Plugin
Valhalla Vintageverb"

MODERAT - A New Error (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"For this drumless and dawless version of this amazing track by Moderat I challenged myself to do it only with my beloved REV2.

The repeating notes and the pumping/sidechain effect of the bass patch are only made with two LFOs:
- one is assigned to the cutoff, Rev Saw wave, clock sync, key sync (to imitate a sequencer)
- the other is assigned to the VCA Env Amt, Saw wave, amt 127, clock sync, key sync. the Env Amt in the Amp section must be set to zero (for the sidechain/like effect)
- Then I used the ENV3 to add some attack. destination: VCA Env Amt. envelope: zero attack, very short decay.
- to add the "snare" I used the gate sequencer: I set a 2 step sequence in key step mode and I set the second step to add a burst of white noise

(no compressors or others plugins added to make the sidechain effect, only some eq and reverbs)

I made these patches from scratch.

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 Voices)
Valhalla Vintageverb

other synth covers:"

Boards of Canada - Sixtyniner (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

video upload by nicola neeco

"This is my version of this little gem from BOC's Twoism (1995, Warp Records)

(I made these patch from scratch)

Gear used:

Sequential Prophet REV2 (8 voices)
Valhalla Vintageverb plugin"

Synth Nerd Covers

video uploads by nicola neeco

Playlist at the time of this post:
Aphex Twin - Vordhosbn (Prophet REV2 synth cover)
Aphex Twin - Polynomial-C synth riff with the Prophet REV2
Boards of Canada - Pete Standing Alone synth riff (Prophet REV2)
Aphex Twin - Flim (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Aphex Twin - Iz Us (Nord Drum 3P & Prophet REV2 Cover, feat. @JannisLeWolff )
Autechre type beat with the Nord Micro Modular & Prophet REV2
Aphex Twin's ON synth riff (Prophet REV2 & Valhalla Delay)
Autechre's SLIP synth riff (Nord Lead 2X)
Aphex Twin's THA synth riff (Prophet REV2)
Aphex Twin - Curtains (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Boards of Canada - Melissa Juice (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Prophet REV2 Cover)
Aphex Twin - Stone in Focus (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
John Carpenter - Halloween Theme (Prophet REV2 & Piano Cover)
Nine Inch Nails - The Becoming (Cover - Moog Minitaur, Nord Lead 2X, Nord Drum, NI Noire Piano)
Squarepusher - Tommib (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Aphex Twin - Ageispolis (Prophet REV2 Cover)
Boards of Canada - Roygbiv (Prophet REV2 & Roland SH-01A Cover)
Boards of Canada - Reach For The Dead (Prophet Rev2 Cover)
Boards of Canada - Bocuma (Roland SH-01A & Prophet REV2 Cover)
Aphex Twin - Polynomial-C (Roland SH01A & Prophet REV2 Cover)
Boards of Canada - The Devil is in the Details (Prophet REV2 & Soundtoys Echoboy) #shorts
Boards of Canada - One Very Important Thought (Moog Minitaur & Prophet REV2 Cover)
Aphex Twin - Schottkey 7th Path (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Aphex Twin - Alberto Balsam (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Alpha Rainbow - Boards of Canada (Roland SH-01A & Prophet REV2 Cover)
Olson - Boards of Canada (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Boards of Canada - Turquoise Exagon Sun (Nord Lead 2X cover)
Boards of Canada - Kaini Industries (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)
Aphex Twin - Rhubarb (Prophet REV2 Synth Cover)

"staar" - Moog Minitaur & TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 & Improvisation

Published on Apr 28, 2015 Nicola Neeco

Moog Minitaur analog synthesizer, TC Alter Ego X4

https://soundcloud.com/analog-molecola

"kum01" - Moog Minitaur Improvisation