Elka EK-44 Demo

video upload by Valmont

"Fun fact this unit was the one used by UVI for their soundbank 'uvi synthox' x)
1986 italian FM synthesizer, 4 operators, 8 algorithms, 18 voices, 8-parts multitimbral.
It also has 2 individual mono 3009 BBD lines (wish they had just made one, but stereo)
The EK44 - call it EM44 or ER44 as well - is based on the Yamaha YM2203, which sounds cleaner than classic DX chips... too nice for my taste, I sold it a year ago!
It's more straightforward than most FM synthesizers: sounds are rather thought as stacks of simple patches rather than single complicated evoluting sounds. Also the approach is orthogonal to DX series if I can say! You program a single parameter, for all the operators one by one on the same page. DX would give you multiple parameters for a single operator, and yet you would have to change parameter and operator by a single button. The EK44 show you the 8 (2x4) operators values, at the same time by little graphs on the screen, it's really cool. What's less cool is that they don't display algorithms anywhere. How am I supposed to guess them?? (you might have to look at the german pdf online)

Worth noticing the keyboard feeling is a step ahead from other synthesizers of that era, not as good as the solid straight Kawai K3 or AX80, but really flexible, bouncy, pleasant and kinda unique.
Additional comment: it's defo not a 1500€ synth as you might see on reverb lmao

0:00 FM Realm
0:13 3009 Strings
0:33 Golden Hour
0:49 Zappa's Apostrophe
0:58 Abas 1
1:04 Abas 2
1:08 Stackbas
1:14 Polyphonic Memory
1:34 Musical Greenhouse
1:45 Stratus
1:56 Pasiphaë
2:16 The Contract
2:28 Broken Lullaby
2:40 Simmons' Spring"

KIWI by Siel: 15 sounds (Ex Opera 6/DK-600)

video upload by Valmont

"I made one demo here but I could just go on more, it sounds too great!
The KIWI, more often branded Opera 6, or DK-600, is a super rare super great italian synth.
Sometimes reminds me of the Jupiter 8 and the Oberheim OB-8, if we put appart the abscence of crossmod. The EG are hella tight, the DCOs are damn bright and full, the filter so mellow...... The epitome of the analog polysynth, far away from the cliché of italian synths.
Also an expensive instrument in the 80's as it cost 50% more than a Korg Poly 61, a Juno 60, a SX-210 or Yamaha DX9... Nowadays it would be about 4.400€ if we adjust the inflation, so definitely not an amateur synth! It was just about the level of a Prophet 600, which funny thing is that they are absolutely opposite in sound characters (and in components, 100% CEM for P600, 100% SSM for KIWI), but they go so well together! They are probably my 2 fav synths in my room :)

Thinking about installing the voicepanning on this one too tho :D

0:00 - mild minds
0:19 - dahlias
0:34 - rbmk
0:59 - 42
1:16 - kujenga
1:29 - gris
1:50 - forbidden
1:56 - model
2:14 - jupiteresque
2:35 - windy beacon
3:01 - deluxe cream
3:25 - hermes
3:42 - sputnikzer
3:53 - blue weekend
4:12 - humble"

Valmont - Anvers (on 1975 Arp Axxe & 1982 Ibanez UE400)

video upload by Valmont

"(modified) Arp Axxe, Ibanez UE400
the arp is controlled via a cv-generating plugin I made for this jam"

Yamaha CS-20M like you've never heard before

video upload by Valmont

"Was tryna mod my CS-20M to get the CS-80 VCF configuration... Doesn't work yet, but has some interesting changes! CS filters have a frequency-dependent Q factor, coupled with a fixed LP filter. The CS-20M bridles the cutoff to max 7.5Khz, if you want to push it further you may lose some of the Q effect. Here I lowered the bandpass feedback R/C pair (R from 820K to 100K), this pushed the Fc but damped the resonance.
I am not quite sure how to change the max filter cutoff without affecting the feedback damping... Maybe some day I'll figure out x)

Tho I was lucky to record a test with a tempo click, so I could add those percussions afterwards! Apart from that this is 100% the CS-20M with no sync, almost no FX. Just everything at max values.

Interconnections: https://linktr.ee/Valmont

Track copyrighted and protected by the Sacem"

Crumar Bit 100! (Bit One + Bit 99)

video upload by Valmont

"Some chill stuff :)

SSM2044 (Bit One) vs CEM3328 (Bit 99) comparison at 1:51.
They sound pretty much the same tbh, minus the resonance drop for Bit One (design flaw of 2044s). But the boards inside do look different, we really can feel how Crumar engineers found about some possible reliability issues. My Bit One [a very early model] looks like a still-on-development instrument, with factory handmade modifications. That's why I tend to say the Bit 99 is safer, like better finished synthesizer. It also has few practical improvements that are useful for live sets, such as volume, noise and detune recall (which is not possible on Bit One), and a better keyboard feeling thanks stronger keysprings. Fun thing though, it's the same keyboard as in the Siel Opera 6 and E-Mu Emax!

So, Bit One or Bit 99? Honestly, whatever the model, you'll get the same thing. Bit99s are maybe a bit better designed, but both share all the same fragile components that usually die with time x)

0:00 - Stack 1 (with use of velocity to LFO speed!)
0:42 - Stack 2 (4 DCOs on different pitchs)
1:00 - Stack 3 (classic poly sound)
1:51 - VCF Tests

Crumar Bit 99 kindly lent by Loic from Les Amants, https://www.instagram.com/lesamantsmusic/"

E.M.I Ritm-2 working back again! (a demo)

video upload by Valmont

"I was tired of having to pay absurd prices for servicing so I did it myself x)
Turns out the power supply was dead for a third time."

Mercuriales III on 1984' Ритм-2

video upload by Valmont

"blessed pulse width"

Oberheim DMX thru Roland SIP-301 (quick patterns demo)

video upload by Valmont

"That day I forgot my camera stand so my friend Steph had to hold the camera for me x)
Just throwing some Oberheim DMX (factory eproms) grooves through a 1979 Roland SIP-301 bass preamp/comp... that has a very crunchy opto comp actually!

Recorded at MusikMusicStudio some time ago"

Minimoog-overdriven Oberheim DMX

video upload by Valmont

"Obi DMX plugged into a 78' Minimoog external input!
I really like the natural ducking effect of the mixer section... And that drive color :p

Recorded at my friends from MusikMusicStudio some time ago"

15 Pads & Textures on Kawai GMega / K11

video upload by Valmont

"Some very different synth from the usual stuff I play :p
This is a 1993 rompler, just like the Korg M1 and all these realism-aiming synths. It's a keyboardless version of the Kawai K11, with 256 waveforms, 32 voices, 32-multitimbral in a desktop 1/2 rack format. Most of the sounds are single-waveform, so you get these typical 90s static pads, which sound very nice with verb. The only downside is that you need to program it thru 4 buttons and a rotative encoder... Very 1990 again x)

0:00 - Blue Sheen
0:29 - Presence
1:15 - Breathy M1
1:35 - Liminal Space
2:04 - Turquoise
2:26 - VHS Strings
2:42 - 1993
2:58 - Bottles Orchestra
3:17 - Additive II
3:43 - Little Bell
4:00 - MIDI Bass
4:10 - Hot Water
4:36 - Hybrid
4:51 - Birds From Eden
5:37 - Scissors Echoes"

Yamaha DX7 Patch Recreations by Valmont

Synclavier Church Bell recreated on Yamaha DX7 video upload by Valmont

"Check the Synclavier voices patch from Genesis 'Mama' recreated on DX7 as well here: [below]

The Synclavier being linear FM, one of the only suitable algorithm on a DX is the one with 3 parallel carrier/modulator. So in this patch, we have 3 partials but the original patch had 4. This is no big deal, as we can just detune more the DX operators. However, the Synclavier had a 1st harmonic on carrier 1 at 20% level, which is something we can't achieve on DXs because they aren't additive... Just use some feedback, to be honest it's absolutely unnoticeable ;p

The Synclavier vinyl: https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/67...

Based on 'init' patch:
Algorithm: 5
Output level: 99, 84, 99, 84, 99, 84
Coarse: 1, 1.43, 1.01, 1.44, 1.02, 1.45
Detune: 0, 0, -2, -2, -2, -2
Rate 1: 90, 75, 90, 75, 90, 75
Rate 2: 17, 0, 17, 0, 17, 0
Rate 3: 99, 20, 99, 20, 99, 20
Rate 4: 25, 20, 25, 20, 25, 20
Rate Scaling: 2
Feedback: 4
Transposition: C2"

Synclavier "Voices 1" from Genesis 'Mama' recreated on Yamaha DX7 [Supermax]

video upload by Valmont

"This one was more simple than the previous Synclavier patch. The subtlety is that the two triple-harmonic operators are doubled by the Synclavier chorus function, and that both use asynchronous LFOs. So you get a 2x6 linear operators sound, with two moving parts in the whole thing. We can't do this in a DX7, however we have the Supermax delay function which allows something in the very same spirit. Not having a Supermax results in a strictly halved-stack, which is noticeable but okay if you add thick chorus behind.

The two Synclavier operators both contain harmonic 1, 2 and 3. They're detuned from each other, so until here the DX7 can follow. Then with the trigger-delayer, we ask the DX to play each note a second time very shortly after, with an augmented pitch. We get twice the sound, twice fatter. But we still only have one LFO for the voices, delayed or not, so the sound is phasing out a bit less. Just add a lil chorus on the output and there it goes. Tho we can remark that the patch used on 'Mama' by Genesis has less LFO modulation, it's smoother. But I wanted to recreate the real Synclavier sound x)

Also note that Depeche Mode used this patch on 'Love in Itself', just like the ChurchBell sound I recreated a month ago. [above]

Based on 'init' patch:

Algorithm: 32
Output level: 96, 84, 80, 96, 84, 80
Coarse: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2.02, 3
Detune: -4, +4, -4, +5, +5, +7
Rates for all operators: 50/99/99/40
Levels for all operators: 99/99/99/0
LFO wave: sine
LFO speed: 36
LFO delay: 16
LFO PM: 28
-----------------
Supermax functions:
Delay: 140
Volume: 3
PT: 0.38"

Synclavier "Voices 1" from Genesis 'Mama' recreated on Yamaha DX7 [Supermax]
video upload by Valmont

"This one was more simple than the previous Synclavier patch. The subtlety is that the two triple-harmonic operators are doubled by the Synclavier chorus function, and that both use asynchronous LFOs. So you get a 2x6 linear operators sound, with two moving parts in the whole thing. We can't do this in a DX7, however we have the Supermax delay function which allows something in the very same spirit. Not having a Supermax results in a strictly halved-stack, which is noticeable but okay if you add thick chorus behind.

The two Synclavier operators both contain harmonic 1, 2 and 3. They're detuned from each other, so until here the DX7 can follow. Then with the trigger-delayer, we ask the DX to play each note a second time very shortly after, with an augmented pitch. We get twice the sound, twice fatter. But we still only have one LFO for the voices, delayed or not, so the sound is phasing out a bit less. Just add a lil chorus on the output and there it goes. Tho we can remark that the patch used on "Mama" by Genesis has less LFO modulation, it's smoother. But I wanted to recreate the real Synclavier sound x)

Also note that Depeche Mode used this patch on 'Love in Itself', just like the ChurchBell sound I recreated a month ago. Check it here if you haven't seen it yet! [above]

Based on 'init' patch:

Algorithm: 32
Output level: 96, 84, 80, 96, 84, 80
Coarse: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2.02, 3
Detune: -4, +4, -4, +5, +5, +7
Rates for all operators: 50/99/99/40
Levels for all operators: 99/99/99/0
LFO wave: sine
LFO speed: 36
LFO delay: 16
LFO PM: 28
-----------------
Supermax functions:
Delay: 140
Volume: 3
PT: 0.38"

BBD emulation Crumar Trilogy prototype

video upload by Valmont

"Here I only presented the wet sound of a single BBD line and the mixed effect (still with one line). The complete ensemble consists in 3 lines like that, with phase offset and LFO combinations."