A Guy Called Gerald - Reason with Roland AIRA

Published on Feb 24, 2014 A GUY CALLED GERALD·5 videos

"Reason with TR-808, TR-8 & TR-3"

BTW, check out Thirteen, Australia's most respected vintage synth/analogue repair/restoration engineer on the AIRAs here.

A Guy Called Gerald New Aira Videos

Published on Feb 14, 2014 A GUY CALLED GERALD·4 videos

"Back then was a dream. Now back to the modern time. Expressive tools need expressive artists."

A Guy Called Gerald Cooking

Published on Feb 18, 2014

"New Roland Aira VS The Analogues"

via Damon Flowers in the main AIRA thread on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge.

Roland's AIRA Officially Unveiled - Massive Pic Gallery, Details, Videos

AIRA — Artists make first contact with AIRA

Published on Feb 13, 2014 RolandChannel·835 videos

"Groundbreaking artists talk about their experiences with Roland instruments and make first contact with the AIRA gear. Artists appearing are: Arthur Baker, Ricardo Villalobos, A Guy Called Gerald, Rain Man, Netsky, Oscar Burnside, Boys Noize, Dr Meaker, Hardfloor, John Heckle, Hisashi Saito, and Akkord."

This post might take a bit to load. :)

Update3: You can find a write-up on Novamusik here.

Update2: You can find comments and discussion on this post on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge here. I also added a page break for this post on the main site so it doesn't slow the site down for new posts. Click the "Click for more" link to get to the full post.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Artist interviews at the predawn of AIRA (Part 1)

Published on Jan 27, 2014 RolandChannel·828 videos

"Artists Arthur Baker, Ricardo Villalobos, Hardfloor, Netsky, Dr Meaker, A Guy Called Gerald and Boys Noize talk about their experiences with Roland instruments and discuss the joys and challenges of performing electronic music live."

Update: you'll find some discussion on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge here.

AKAI MPC-60II SN 90125-00144

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"For sale is this used Akai MPC-60II. The MPC-60II is the music production studio that has single-handedly taken over the Rap and R&B music genres as the main instrument of Hip Hop production. Designed by Roger Linn (Linn Drum), the MPC-60 is a one-box-does-it-all sequencer-sampler workstation. This particular example, serial number 99125-00144 works great and is the perfect addition to any professional or home studio.

The built-in sequencer is very complete and professional. There are 99 tracks per sequence, 99 patterns, and 99 sequences that can be created, edited and stored in the MPC-60II with ease. Most artists create their patterns in real-time adding drum parts to a beat-loop spontaneously creating a groove that captures the vibe. These patterns are varied and chained into a sequence. Full MIDI, SMPTE and various other forms of external control prepare the MPC-60 for any studio situation.

The Sampler section is lo-fi but highly respectable. Its 12-bit sampling at 40KHz is pretty good. Sample editing, looping and transforming is simple to do. And finally, there’s even a built-in drum machine for extra groove! Finally, the 18 voices of polyphony should be plenty of room for anyone who wants to create Hip Hop on the machine of professional artists worldwide including Apollo 440, BT, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jimmy Edgar, DJ Shadow, Jermaine Dupri, and A Guy Called Gerald.

The main differences between the original MPC-60 and the MKII was the casing and a head-phone jack but either machine is still very useful for today’s aspiring musicians.

This particular example is in used condition and good working condition and comes with an IEC power cable. The MPC is missing 5 mounting screws, though is structurally intact. As can be seen in the photos, the "soft key 1" and "space" buttons display serious wear, and there are visible scratches on the backlit LED panel. Though the unit works, I suggest having a tech do a fundamental service to bring it back up to studio-ready shape."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Novation // Supernova Soundpack for UltraNova & MiniNova

Published on Apr 22, 2013 NovationTV·162 videos

"FREE Supernova Soundpack for UltraNova & MiniNova
Download it here: http://novationmusic.com/soundpacks
~ LIKE our video and click 'show more' for additional information.

Listen to the demo on SoundCloud now:
https://soundcloud.com/novationmusic/...

Sound designer Phil McDonald created the iconic sounds of the Supernova that changed the sound of dance music at the turn of the Millennium, powering classics by Orbital, ATB, Jean Michel Jarre and A Guy Called Gerald, plus many more. Now, with the massive revival of interest in the sounds and music of the period, Novation is proud to announce the release of two new soundpacks for the MiniNova and UltraNova, containing sounds from the original Supernova sound banks, by the original sound designer. These soundpacks give you the original classic sounds of the turn of the century -- and they're absolutely free.

To install the soundpacks, you'll need the free MiniNova or UltraNova Librarian applications. Use them to import and store new patches and the other soundpacks for both synths, including the Chuckie, Dino Soldo and 2-volume Daniel Fisher soundpacks.

For more videos subscribe to our YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/novationtv"

MiniNovas on eBay | Ultranovas on eBay

Last weeks "Rebuild" sessions with A Guy Called Gerald/Massey

via Graham Massey on Facebook

Bleep's Guide to Electronic Music

This one in via Scott, via Bleep: "Bleep's guide to Electronic Music is a 55 track compilation charting the historical emergence of electronic music by looking at landmark tracks from the 1930s up to present day.

Our aim with this selection of music is to show the length and breadth of the medium, providing a snapshot of the genres forms and styles, and the development of the artform. Whilst there are omissions and compromises that we have had to make, we hope that we achieve our aims and we do some justice to the variety of music that we love.

This compilation developed out of a project to create a Facebook timeline charting the development of electronic music from the late 19th Century until now."

For reference check out 120 Years of Electronic Music

The collection begins with Olivier Messiaen's Oraison from 1937 performed on Ondes Martenot & Theremin (you can find the original full track previously posted here and a beautiful cover on Buchla 200e and Haken Continuum from the late Richard Lainhart here):

"Originally composed by Olivier Messiaen, this beautiful and contemplative piece of music is a monumental moment in electronic music. Argued to be the first piece of purely electronic music written expressly for live performance on the Ondes Martenot, an instrument closely related to the Theremin."

The collection ends with James Blake's CMYK"

"At just 21 years old, London producer, James Blake releases on newly relaunched R&S Records.

At its core 'CMYK' is forged from a myriad of 90's R&B samples (Aaliyah, Kelis) their voices mangled, barely recognisable and thrown into a red-eyed fire of DSP and hours spent in the waveforms."

The full track listing:

CLICK FOR MORE »

GRAHAM MASSEY on Synths & the 808 State Sound

YouTube Uploaded by TerryFuckwitt on Jun 16, 2008

"808 State is an English electronic music outfit formed in 1988 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" shared by the members. They were formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson.
This is their music video Cubik from 1990"

via A Guy Called Gerald, article via DJMag

"At some point the Roland 101, 202, 303, 808 and 909 machines became a set of kit that would all connect together happily and became affordable due to all the new midi/digital technology, making analogue a dirty word....

The sampler opened up a huge sound world to us and would be the key instrument in terms of giving a track an identity. For instance, the chords on 'Pacific State' were created by sampling a chord from a Juno 106 keyboard layered with a d50 string sound with a bit of filtering in the Casio FZ1 sampler. The bird sound on that record was an Akai sample demonstration disc of the Canadian Loon. "'Cubik' was again a multi sample stacked up with sounds from a Waldorf microwave and a Chase Bit 99 digital keyboard played by a Casio Midi guitar, which we had just got that day."

Click through for more.

Freemasons' James Wiltshire interviewed at Propellerhead Producers Conference 2010

YouTube via musicradartv | November 02, 2010

"Speaking at the 2010 Propellerhead Producers Conference at Ministry Of Sound, London. Stay tuned to MusicRadar for more coverage from the event including tutorials and interviews from Propellerhead's own James Bernard, Reason beat designer Sharooz and dance music legend A Guy Called Gerald."

The BBC's The Great Leap Forward

"The Great Bleep Forward: Presented by Andrew Collins

As a follow-up to BBC Four's Synth Britannia programme there's another chance to hear a series made by 6 Music in 2004 in which Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music.

The story of modern music is one of subversion and experimentation, of heroes and villains. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if the real subversives didn't wear leather and denim but smart suits and white lab coats? What if the true experimentation wasn't with LSD but with DX7's and S900s? What if the real heroes of music aren't John, and Paul, Mick and Keith, but Ralf, Florian, Robert and Wendy!

The Great Bleep Forward is a series four programmes, presented by Andrew Collins exploring the history of electronic music. Hear the first baby's cry of the moog synthesiser, embrace the difficult childhood of prog rock, grapple with the 'experimental' teenage years of the New Romantics and discover the middle aged maturity and nostalgia of the present day. You'll also get a sense of the sound of the future.

The series features interviews with many of the key players in the development of electronic music including Robert Moog, Kraftwerk's Ralph Hutter, Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood, Factory's Tony Wilson, Thomas Dolby, The Human League, Primal Scream, A Guy Called Gerald, Zoot Woman and Grandaddy."

Note this one plays outside of the UK!
I actually posted The Great Leap Forward back in November of 2006 with a different link.
Also see the BBC's Back to the Future.

Something new

YouTube via PropellerheadSW Something new from Proppellerheads is coming this weekend to be announced at the following events.

Los Angeles May 9, Musician’s Institute, Hollywood. Bon Harris, Kevin Teasley, Gerry Basserman, Kurt Kurasaki

New York City May 9, Clinton Recording Studios. Ben Weinman, Aaron Albano, Chris Griffin, Chris Petti

Guildford, UK May 9, Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford, Surrey A Guy Called Gerald, Alex Blanco, Gary Bromham.

Berlin, Germany May 9, Kulturbrauerei Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg Simon Grey, Philippe van Eecke, The Green Man.

Stockholm, Sweden May 9, Propellerhead Software HQ Eric Gadd, Pär Wiksten, Joachim Ekermann, Jonas Löfvenmark

via CDM. Rumor elsewhere is that it is a new DAW application. It will be interesting to see if the reactions in this video are substantiated.

SEARCH /Broadcasting Tijuana Electronic Music to outer space

YouTube via pepemogt.

"Manglano-Ovalle transformed the bullfight ring of Tijuana located at the border in to a Radio telescope searching for "aliens". He suspended an antenna above the building and a receiving dish below, Live Electronic Music was brodcasted in the building, on the web, FM radio and into space. This project makes reference to the social situation of Mexican "Aliens".

In the video Pepe Mogt(Latinsizer, Fussible, Nortec), Ramon Bostich(nortec Collective) and Leslie(Dream addictive) were making music with digital and analog sequencers and synths(Arp Odyssey, Oberheim), the audio out of this machines was sent to Manglano-Ovalle Transmiter in real time in to outer space.

info about synths used:
The ARP Odyssey was and still is a very popular synth because it is a powerful lightweight version of the awesome ARP 2600. It was also ARP's response to the Minimoog and the Odyssey became the most popular synth ARP ever sold! The Odyssey is a 2-oscillator analog synth (with duophonic capability) which sounds really nice; the Minimoog has 3 oscillators and is considered fatter. The Odyssey comes well equipped with all the tweakable features you'd expect: resonant low pass filter, ADSR envelopes, sine or square wave LFO and even a sample-and-hold function. It also added a few new features such as a highpass filter in series with the lowpass, oscillator sync capability and pulse width modulation. It is a very professional and expressive machine that can create nice analog basses, interesting leads and great effects and sweeping sounds or noises!

There were many versions of the Odyssey over the years, each a little different. Pictured above is the Odyssey I (Model 2800). These original white-faced Odysseys used a tinny 2-pole VCF filter design (Model 4023) similar to old Oberheim SEM modules. They also used a rotary knob for pitch bending. These models were produced between 1972-74. Odysseys have been used by ABBA, Bomb The Bass, Ultravox, Gary Numan, LTJ Bukem, Air, Tangerine Dream, 808 State, Apollo 440, Nine Inch Nails, Astral Projection, Chick Corea, George Duke, Josef Zawinul, John Foxx, Vangelis, Elton John, Latinsizer, Jethro Tull, Fussible, Nortec Collective, Jimmy Edgar, DEVO, R.E.M. and Herbie Hancock

TR-808
The TR-808 is a classic drum machine that used analog synthesis to create its sounds. The sounds have a very thin and pure quality and aren't grungy like it's successor the TR-909. In fact, the 808 has become the signature beatbox used in most R&B and hip-hop as well as a lot of dance and techno music. Booming bass kicks, crispy snares and that annoying cowbell sound made famous during the 80's are all part of the 808 and its famous sound.

Its 16 drum sounds include the famous boomy low kick, snappy snares, low/mid/hi toms, low/mid/hi congas, rimshot, claves, hand clap, maracas, cowbell, cymbal, open hihat, closed hihat and accent. All of the sounds can be edited and/or tuned and have individual outputs. Unfortunately it is not MIDI equipped but it does use Roland's DIN Sync.

The TR-808 was OK in its time. It just didn't sound like real drums. When the Linn Drum machines appeared, the 808 seemed doomed. But its unique sound and analog allure have found it a long-lasting home in many forms of music. Clearly the 808 has been one of the more important and famous drum machines in the history of music, spawning imitators (ReBirth, DrumStation) and band names (808 State). Famous users include Orbital, Uberzone, Download, Aphex Twin, 808 State, BT, Bomb The Bass, Sense Datum, The Prodigy, Josh Wink, Faithless, Skinny Puppy, Bushflange, Jimi Tenor, A Guy Called Gerald, Eat Static, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Edgar, Nortec Collective, Freddy Fresh, Richie Hawtin, Jean Michel Jarre, Cocteau Twins, Bostich, Marvin Gaye, Latinsizer, Luke Vibert, Ice Cube and Puff Daddy."