Rare ARP 2600 Blue Marvin Discovery w/ Ryan Hawkins & Rob Rosen

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

Also see Rare ARP 2600 Blue Marvin Jam (w/ Cameron Graves)

"Join Ryan Hawkins and me for an in-depth look at an extremely rare ARP 2600 called the "Blue Marvin". It was the first ARP 2600 prototype created in 1971 before the later gray faced Tonus versions of the instrument were made for sale to the public. There are a lot of quirky physical aspects to this beauty since it was never really completed for final production, but in spite of that, it sounds magnificent! In particular, there is a type of harmonic distortion that it delivers only to be found on the original R.A. Moog modular synths from the late 1960's through the early 1970's.

You'll also hear the back story about how it was found in a post office, changed hands and then how it was restored by Ryan. We'll explore the front panel by comparing it to the first production Tonus model and also give you a Hands-on demonstration of the compelling sounds that it delivers. All music in this video is composed and performed by Ryan.

00:00 Intro
00:08 Music Interlude 1
00:19 The Story: Finding the Blue Marvin
06:11 Rob Rosen @RosenSound replaces the power jack
07:36 About the original modules (rectangular vs later square versions)
08:25 Under he Hood with Rob Rosen
10:21 Music Interlude 2
10:31 "Blue Marvin": 2600 vs Tonus 2600 Differences
16:36 Music Interlude 3
17:10 Missing Items compared to later models
22:40 Who was "Marvin"
23:05 @AlexBallMusic Story of "Blue Marvin"
24:16 13-note chromatic scale
25:12 Keyboard Differences - "Blue Marvin" Keyboard vs ARP 3620 Keyboard
26:31 Face Differences - "Blue Marvin" 2600 Face vs Tonus 2600 Face
27:16 Making Sounds on the "Blue Marvin"
27:36 Incredible Harmonic Distortion on the "Blue Meanie" 2600
30:03 Ryan's Favorite Sounds on the "Blue Meanie 2600
31:12 Sample and Hold with a sine wave
31:45 "Blue Marvin" - Reverb
33:25 "Blue Marvin - The Way it's Built
34:33 Plugging in a Microphone
35:40 ARP 2600 Layout Designed for Learning
36:52 "Blue Marvin" at Synthplex
38:03 About Ryan Hawkins
38:21 Conclusion
39:17 End Credits Music by Ryan Hawkins
45:20 AMM Logo"

Doctor Mix & Anthony Check Out the PWM Mantis Synth | NAMM 2024

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"Join me and my good buddy Doctor Mix as we explore one of the most talked about synthesizers at NAMM 2024. It won't be difficult to discover how much fun we're having checking it out for the first time. I can see that there is still a lot to unpack about this synth and I'm looking forward to doing just that. Please stay on the lookout and tune in to AMM for a much more in-depth look at this super fun and great sounding instrument. It's part of a special family of synthesizers that were all designed with much love. PWM Mantis is a collaboration between the late Chris Huggett (EDP Gnat, EDP Wasp, OSCar) and PWM (Paul Whittington). A hybrid-analog synthesizer, Mantis utilizes mathematically-generated oscillators with a pure analog signal path and a modernized design architecture based on the EDP Wasp with an OSCar-style filter. It is also duophonic, with two fully independent voices, and features dual multi-mode filters that can be combined in series or parallel. Fully featured, Mantis is equipped with an arpeggiator, 37-note full-size semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch, multi-function joystick, and MIDI/USB control for easy integration with any studio or live environment.

00:00 Doctor Mix and Anthony Sweeping Filters (Cold Open )
00:30 Walk up (music)
00:49 Meeting Mantis Co-Designer Paul Whittington
01:24 Trying out the PWM Mantis
02:22 Sweeping Multi-Mode Filters
03:33 Wave Shape Panning
04:57 Add Glide and Filter Sweeps
05:14 Paraphonic
05:40 Doctor Mix and Anthony Summary
06:18 Logo (music)"

Rob Rosen Reveals His Ultimate Synth Collection

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

A look inside the Yamaha CS80, the 14th ever made Sequential Prophet-5, a Rev 1, and a Roland Juno-106, touching on some of the evolution of analog synthesis technology over the years.

"I hope you enjoy this rare opportunity to visit with my close friend Rob Rosen for a deep dive into his ultimate vintage synth collection. Together, we’ll see inside some of the rarest synthesizers of all-time and learn from this master technician how synthesizers have evolved, what makes them tick and why synthesizers make such cool sounds!

I consider Rob’s shop @Rosen Sound ground zero for anything relating to synthesizers. It’s also the biggest wonderland of vintage synths in perfect working order that you’ll ever see .

Rob is a self-taught technician and is now the world leader for repair, restoration, custom manufacturing and sales of vintage synthesizers. He’s also quite an accomplished musician programmer and keyboard player as well."

Chapter Time Stamps:
00:00:01 Intro Anthony on the street in Burbank, CA
00:01:55 Entering Inside Rosen Sound
00:02:06 Meeting “P” from Chromeo and The Rosen Sound Team
00:03:06 Rob shows us his personal work space
00:11:42 Montage of Synths - Start
00:12:35 Montage of Synths - End
00:12:36 Anthony and Rob in “The Cabin” - a wonderland of vintage synths
00:13:42 Anthony explains and demonstrates features on the CS-80
00:20:36 CS-80 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
00:53:31 Prophet 5 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
01:12:50 Anthony Demonstrates some of the Juno 106 sounds
01:19:27 Juno-106 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
01:28:54 One-of-a-Kind Oberheim Modular 8 Voice System tour by Rob
01:35:31 Anthony asks Rob 20 Questions about Synthesizers
01:39:09 Rob asks Anthony some Questions about Synthesizers
01:49:47 Bass Shootout: 1973 Moog System 55 VS ARP 2600
01:54:54 Shoot Out Conclusion and Bass Tips

"The Chromed TONTO" - MASSIVE Live Modular Synthesizer w/ P-Thugg from Chromeo

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

Like a modern day TONTO - "The Chromed TONTO"

"Discover the unbelievable as Anthony and co-host Rob Rosen, synth tech to the stars, team up with special guest Patrick Gemayel, also known as P-Thugg from electro-funk duo "Chromeo," to unveil and construct the world's largest touring synthesizer - a towering 18 feet long and 8 feet tall, featuring 6 keyboards, all fully CHROMED! Dive into an epic unboxing and building session, culminating in an electrifying improvised synth jam.
In this captivating video, witness the step-by-step assembly of four colossal custom chrome modular synthesizer towers, drawing inspiration from iconic sources like Stevie Wonder’s TONTO synth, 1984 Bang & Olufsen speakers, and Seventies space-age furniture. Crafted and chromed by the legendary Roger Arrick from Synthesizers.com, these towers house cutting-edge modular synths with a unique behind-the-modules patching system, ensuring seamless performances with quick sound changes and full MIDI compatibility for patch cord free audience views.
Delve into the meticulous live performance setup of P-Thugg and his duo mate David Macklovitch (aka Dave 1), showcasing their mastery of Ableton Live and AbleSet for music playback, set lists, and lighting cues. Experience the behind-the-scenes magic as you join the conversation with the funk maestro "P" in his warehouse, where dreams of a chromed synth spectacle turned into reality. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey into the heart of electro-funk innovation!

00:00:00 Intro (music)
00:00:55 Meet P-Thugg
00:01:11 Building the Modules / Jam 1
00:02:53 The MIDI Keyboards
00:04:53 Building the Tiers / Jam 2
00:06:33 Custom system by Synthesizers.com (https://shop.synthesizers.com)
00:12:15 Custom Tuner Module
00:13:10 Synthesizer Tuner Hack
00:14:10 Modular and Poly Synth Output Configuration
00:15:50 Look Mum, no patch cords - Hard Wired Presets
00:17:34 Culmination of a Modular Dream / Monster Polyphonic Dream Next
00:19:07 Building the MIDI / Jam 3
00:22:44 Fully Built Instrument (after 3 hours setting up)
00:24:05 Preset Patching System
00:29:47 Bypassing the Preset Patches
00:30:21 Switching Presets on Stage
00:33:40 Spontaneously Programming Sounds on Stage
00:34:42 P-Thugg's Favorite Sound
00:35:25 Presets Switch between Live Panel Settings
00:36:39 Re-creating the Album in a Live Setting
00:37:35 Changing The Face Panel
00:40:09 Patching the MIDI Polyphonic Synthesizer Keyboards
00:43:15 Tuning Drifting Oscillators - Custom Tuner Module
00:43:51 Connecting All 4 Modular Instruments
00:45:59 Cleaning the Chrome
00:46:35 MIDI Interface Routing
00:48:47 Moog Modular Flexibility with Minimoog Speed
00:49:14 Front Panel Tour
00:51:20 Overriding the Presets with Patch Cords / Multi-Mode Filter
00:53:34 AbleSet by Leolabs - Set Lists, MIDI Patch Changes, Ableton Live Playback connection (https://ableset.app)
00:56:10 Ableton Light Cues
00:57:02 DAW Software - Cubase, Pro Tools, Ableton Live
00:57:50 Adapting the Show to the Song
00:59:37 Chromeo's Mission
01:01:20 Conclusion
01:01:47 Logo (music)"

Product Specialist Kevin Maloney - Full Interview

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"In this video, I visit and talk with former New England Digital Synclavier Product Specialist Kevin Maloney while surrounded by his two Synclavier Digital Music Systems.

Together, we present a complete history of the Synclavier with a stories and examples of how we used it on some massive hit records and films.
First, we listen to a track on the the original blue vinyl record titled 'The Incredible Sounds of the Synclavier II Demonstration Record'
that was the original source sound for the intro to Michael Jackson's 'Beat It'.Kevin's talks about sitting next to Michael while working on the Bad" album.He'll show us a complete breakdown of the components that make up the "Smooth Criminal" bass sound and a recreation of the sampled drum part.Then you'll see, in real time, how Synclavier's unique sequencer can drastically and quickly manipulate (or even transform) the recreated "Smooth Criminal" track.Kevin tells us how he worked closely with producer Quincy Jones to create the intro to "We Are the World". Quincy wasn't satisfied with silver bells, so Kevin turned silver bells into gold bells. Quincy said, he wanted to “send out bells to call all the people of the world to come and hear this song”. We delve into the Synclavier's one-of-a-kind ability to analyze samples (recordings of instruments or sounds) in order to create a series of short frames that each consist of a static wavetable. By cross fading the frames the user is able to recreate the complexity of a sample with a synthesizer sound. This process is called Resynthesis. The user is now able to manipulate the synthesizer sound in many more ways than can ever be done with a sample. We then heavily distort some vocal sounds that were generated using Resynthesis to show the level of control that is possible. We take a look at some preset sampled sounds from the original Synclavier Orchestral library including the string sounds used by Mark Knopfler in Rob Reiner's "The Princess Bride". Anthony talks about how he created a flute sound generated from Resynthesis and later used it to perform practically every cue in the film "Stand by Me" which is another Rob Reiner hit. We take you through the evolution of the Synclavier that includes: The Synclavier I, the Synclavier II with it's original keyboard, the addition of the velocity and polyphonic keyboard, The expanded track sequencer, the addition of more buttons and secondary functions accessed by double clicking the buttons to send them into "blinking mode". BTW - These buttons were originally designed for the B-52 bomber.

We cover MIDI, SMPTE, polyphonic sampling voices and more memory (at a cost of $4500 per megabyte) that were available to add to your system.

We highlight the reason why the Synclavier cost so much and how New England Digital managed to integrate cutting edge 3rd party technology that all worked perfectly together in one unified music system. Finally we review the far more accessible versions of the Synclavier like the Synclavier V by Arturia, Synclavier Go! and Synclavier Pocket! and the most recent addition to the family - Synclavier Regen which actually has unlimited FM synthesis and sampler voices along with the long awaited... resonant Multimode FILTERS!!! The evolution of Synclavier is filled with a plethora of breath-taking features that were nowhere to be found on any other single instrument and it includes a discography of legendary proportion. It's also a history that's deeply personal to me because it ran parallel with my evolution as a composer, songwriter, arranger and programmer. The Synclavier is alive and well in 2023!

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.

Website: www.anthonymarinelli.com"

Bill Wolfer - Working with Stevie Wonder

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

Discover the enchanting tale of Bill Wolfer, a young dreamer from Cheyenne, Wyoming, whose ambition led him to create a master plan: relocating to Los Angeles, securing a job at Guitar Center, and orchestrating the perfect sequence of events that ultimately launched his thriving music career alongside two legendary icons - Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

In this captivating video, Bill not only marvels at the awe-inspiring genius of Stevie as a songwriter, singer, and keyboardist but also graciously opens up about the deep emotional connection and joyful camaraderie he shared with Stevie firsthand. It's a heartwarming journey that showcases not just musical prowess but also the power of friendship and passion in shaping a magical career.

00:00 Introduction
00:36 Stevie Wonder's Early Career
01:40 Berry Gordy Years
02:38 The Guitar Center Plan for a Music Career
04:14 The Star Parade at Guitar Center
05:26 Meeting Ronnie Foster
06:42 Discovering the ARP Sequencer
09:12 Stevie Wonder Hears Bill's Music and Calls Him
09:57 Working on Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants with Stevie
11:50 Touring with Stevie
13:20 Bill's Beautiful Friendship with Stevie
16:19 All-Nighter Recording Sessions with Stevie
17:20 Driving with Stevie...and the Rolls Royce
20:42 Stevie's Sense of Humor, Incredible Singing & Musicianship
23:52 Meeting Chick Corea
26:07 Stevie, Chick and Herbie Hancock
26:57 Logo (AMM theme music)

https://www.anthonymarinellimusic.com

Anthony Marinelli Dr. Mix Rob Rosen Synth Jam 2 | CS80, EVS, OBX, OB8, Matrix12, Prophet, ARP2600

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"Welcome to Synth Jam 2, the finale of the day when I introduced Rob Rosen to Dr. Mix during his visit to me in LA. This video showcases a live AMBIENT IMPROVISATION on monster vintage synths recorded at the Cabin Studio @ Rosen Sound. It features Dr. Mix on Oberheim OBX, OB8, Prophet 5 and Prophet VS, Rob Rosen on Oberheim 8 Voice & CS-80, and me, on CS-80, Oberheim Matrix 12 ands 2 ARP 2600's. Check it out...and please remember to visit Dr. Mix's channel on YouTube for a full tour of the Cabin with Master Synth Tech Rob Rosen. You'll be glad you did!"

Meet Anthony Marinelli's 1969 Moog IIIc Modular Synthesizer. It’s what started it all.@RosenSound !

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

The future of EXPRESSIVE analog synths is HERE

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

https://www.anthonymarinellimusic.com

"I've been waiting 50 years to experience analog synthesizers responding intuitively and immediately to pitch, timbre and volume changes from the slightest movements of my fingers on a keyboard! In this video, you'll see and hear unprecedented control of one of the most extreme patches I've ever made. It incudes (4) Vintage ARP 2600's synthesizers and (1) Vintage 1969 Moog IIIc modular synthesizer playing all at once in unison mode or where each modular synth is playing a separate voice in the chord. I've never heard my favorite all-time analog synths sounding so musical, so different and just so good!

To accomplish this task, we are using 5 channels of Haken Audio CVC (Control Voltage Converter) to receive MPE messages from an Expressive E Osmose and also from a Haken Audio Continuum. These state of the art MIDI controllers are able to understand the players most subtle finger movements and immediately translate those messages to the CVC. Without any perceivable latency, the CVC can then send 4 independent control voltages to alter any parameter in real-time on any one of the synths being used as a voice.

My special guest, Osmose and Continuum expert performer Josh Madoff demonstrates all the features on both of these keyboards by playing musical examples. I'll be explaining what's going on, playing some duets with Josh and also providing an in-depth breakdown of the patches on each synth. I'm optimistic that we'l be seeing controllers n the near future delivering higher and higher levels of artistic experiences for performers. Please enjoy the this presentation and let us know what you think in the comments section. Thank you for your support, it means everything to us!

00:00 Anthony's Intro
00:41 Osmose Musical Example
01:11 Set Up (4) ARP 2600s (1) Moog IIIc
01:43 About the Osmose
03:05 About the Continuum
05:25 Musical Examples playing (4) ARP 2600s (1) Moog IIIc from Osmose
10:04 Our Experience Performing with Continuous Control Voltage
13:22 Sostenuto Pedal
15:22 Anthony Plays with a lot of Resonance
16:35 Musical Example - Osmose MPE Arpeggiator
18:23 Musical Example - EaganMatrix Sound Engine & Vintage Analog Modular
22:30 The Control Signals Osmose, Continuum & Haken CVC
25:17 Type of Control & Articulations
27:50 The Synth Patch on the Moog Modular IIIc
31:55 The Synth Patch on the ARP 2600s
34:36 RECAP of Control Voltage Signals Going to the Analog Synths
36:35 Controlling Each Synth Voice from the Keyboard
38:00 Anthony's Summary
38:25 CTA, Thank you
38:49 Logo (theme music)"

MJ’s “Beat It” - Hidden Machine Gun Sound

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"In this Video I’ll show you how I made the 'Machine Gun Sound' in MJ’s 'Beat It'. It’s kind of a hidden sound, but it serves an important purpose in the orchestration of the song to create tension and energy just before Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo. This is one of many examples of the nuances that can be found in the arrangements of the songs on the album.

We’ll also shine the spotlight on Thriller engineer Bruce Swedien’s ability to know when and how to use a sound like this and when to get it out of the picture to create space for other sounds. This concepts can be applied to any style of music you are creating.

I made the original sound using an ARP 2600 & Dr. Click but you can re-create this sound on your VST with less effort.

00:00 Music Example of The Hidden 'Machine Gun Sound' on 'Beat It'
00:08 Intro
00:15 History of the "Machine Gun Sound"
00:46 Working with Michael Jackson on "Beat It"
02:14 Syncing the 16th note "Machine Gun Sound" to the drum beat
03:51 How to set the waveforms (VCO's)
05:02 How to set the Sample & Hold Generator (S&H)
05:19 How to set the Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF)
05:58 how to set the Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA)
07:35
07:49 How Bruce Swedien created Arrangements & Orchestrations when Mixing Thriller
09:57 understanding the concept of the "Machine Gun Sound" to re-create it on VST's
11:25 Full Music Example"

https://www.anthonymarinellimusic.com

See the Garfield Electronics label beloww for additional posts featuring the Doctor Click.

ARP 2600 Synth Patching Lessons LIVE! at MIDI 2 | NAMM 2024

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"It was my honor and pleasure to be a guest speaker for the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation on the MIDI Association’s MIDI 2 stage at NAMM 2024.
In the spirit of the foundation and its mission statement, I opted to share the stage with some up and coming synthesists. Join us as we explore how to create sounds in your head and the endless possibilities that come from creativity, believing in yourself and knowing how to practice efficiently. I was blessed to meet some talented people before, during and after my talk.

The ARP Archives & The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Their mission is to celebrate the legacy of inventor, musician, entrepreneur and engineer Alan R. Pearlman, by making his innovative inventions publicly accessible, and by inspiring future generations to imagine and create. Please sign up for their newsletter to learn about events, launches, news and site updates.
The ARP 2600 on stage with me was generously donated by Ryan Hawkins from the Synth Cave.

00:00 Introduction
00:50 My ARP 2600 first experience
02:00 How to patch sounds on the ARP 2600
02:54 1st Guest - Alcee
15:26 Alcee reviews what he learned
16:55 Anthony's 10 second helicopter sound
18:33 2nd Guest - Daniel
20:04 Dina Pearlman - ARP Foundation
22:21 Daniel Makes his first ARP 2600 Patch
26:23 Anthony's Helicopter Story
27:54 Wrap Up / Doctor Mix introduction
28:39 Logo (music)"

Rare ARP 2600 Blue Marvin Jam (w/ Cameron Graves)

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"It's always fun to perform with my good friend Cameron Graves aka "The Planetary Prince". I was introduced to Cameron and his brother Taylor Graves in 2008 by Jada Pinkett Smith when we co-scored her film, The Human Contract. We've remained friends and musical brothers ever since. We hope you enjoy this music that we created right before the cameras started rolling . We intend to make more of these synth jam videos in the near future.
We're playing the solos on an extremely rare ARP 2600 "Blue Marvin" which was a prototype for the Tonus ARP 2600 that actually went into production. The rest of the synths include a later model gray faced ARP 2600, an orange faced ARP 2600, the Korg ARP 2600 M, Moog Minimoog, Korg MS-20 and ARP Omni String Synthesizer. The drums are performed by my engineer Ben Rachlis on a vintage LinnDrum the he is processing through The OTO Biscut, Bim, Bam and Boom.
Please remember to like and subscribe to these videos. It would mean a lot to me and my dedicated and enthusiastic crew. Thank you to all for your support and inspiring comments!

00:00 Intro
00:53 Blue Marvin Jam
01:17 Melody
02:01 Blue Marvin Solos
03:18 Breakdown
03:35 Melody
04:21 Special Thanks
04:26 Logo (music)"

MJ's "Beat It" - The Untold Story by Tom Bähler

video upload by

"It's my pleasure to re-unite with my old friend Tom Bähler who generously tells us all the details of his experiences with Michael and Quincy during the making of 'Beat It'. This untold story is a result of Tom contacting me after seeing one of our videos about how to make the gong sound on 'Beat It'.

He felt it was time to fill-in some blanks in the timeline about how and when things happened and to also share some of his most intimate, inspiring moments about the creation of the song. In this segment we'll tap into a little bit of history about the Synclavier and how this game changing synthesizer got into the hands of Michael. Then you'll find out how the infamous gong sound was discovered, that it was slightly altered and who actually played it on the record. Tom is a gifted storyteller who colorfully weaves relevant and fun anecdotal sidebars in the process of describing the historical facts. He tops off this segment with the back story about Michael's incredibly drawn out search to find the perfect sound to play on the 4th beat of each bar in "Beat It". Michael had the sound in his head but needed to discover what instrument could make it. The first thing I saw when I (Anthony) arrived to play on the album was Michael hitting drum cases with 2 x 4's, but I never knew about the events leading up to that day. Now we all will. I hope you enjoy this special interview and rare opportunity to hear these personal stories directly from Tom Bähler, a living legend. And stay tuned to Anthony Marinelli Music for the other segments with Tom about Working with Michael, Working with Quincy, Arranging for "We Are the World" and writing what some consider to be their favorite song by Michael, 'We are the World'.

0:00 Introduction to Tom Bahler
1:33 Discovering the Synclavier
3:16 The Gong Story, Michael & Bruce
9:48 Copyright
12:35 Michael's Search for the 4th Beat of "Beat It"
19:40 Michael & Quincy Speaking in Colors
20:18 Conclusion"

MJ’s Thriller Minimoog Marimba (Synth Breakdown)

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"This video makes a very important point about what you need to consider when you want to make a "great" sound. The Minimoog Marimba sound occurs during the Outro of "Thriller" which is loaded with complex sounds that are both melodic, sustaining and building. The song at this point hardly needs another element. You'll notice that I chose to make a very simple and relatively thin sound. It establishes some personality from its percussive and resonance aspects but most of its value comes from the rhythm and performance of the part. I'm telling you this because when you want to make a great sound the most important questions to ask are "Who, What, When Where and How". Who is playing it (a person or MIDI), what is happening at the same time (orchestration), When does it enter (what part of the beat), Where does it happen in the dramatic flow and How will the listener be affected by it? After thinking about the answers to these questions I realized that a great sound here needed to be very simple and not too thick. When you hear the Minimoog marimba in the context of the song you'll notice that it stays out of the way of the other sounds frequencies. Every sound is a puzzle piece that needs to fit with the other pieces. This is the process I follow when making any sound! "

00:00 Thriller re-creation music
00:24 Intro
01:05 Marimba Playing technique description
01:51 Thriller re-creation video with Greg Phillinganes Technique preview
03:17 How to create the Thriller Outro Marimba on Minimoog
03:54 The Oscillators
04:54 The Mixer
05:17 The Filter
06:05 The Resonance Effect
06:33 The Envelopes
07:44 Re-cap the Envelopes
08:17 Modulation and Keyboard Control Voltage
08:54 Keyboard Technique
09:07 CTA
09:37 Sound Performance to Thriller Re-Creation Track

https://www.anthonymarinellimusic.com

RIP Michael Jackson

As you've all probably heard by now, the King of Pop has passed away. I wasn't expecting to put a post up as all posts have to be about the synths, however it just didn't seem right to not put something up, and I did find a bit of fascinating synth history, when you think about it, below.

I remember growing up listening to bits of the Jackson Five and later Michael Jackson. My sister was in love with his music, and Elvis Presley. The perfect match. I remember when Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll and Michael announced himself as the King of Pop. I wondered if it would stick. I remember when Off the Wall came out followed by Thriller. I remember staying up to watch the Thriller video with my sister, and her telling me how it was the most expensive video ever made. I thought it was crazy how long it would be. I recently remember watching that odd video of inmates somewhere in Asia performing Thriller, a hundred plus inmates in orange, prison garbs, all in sync. All crazy memories in time, all full of life and energy. That is the one thing Michael Jackson was to me - a man filled with wonder and energy. I will always remember him as that somewhat magical character who never lost that bit of childhood wonder. I'm sure he has influenced me in ways I have yet to realize, some bits I'm coming to realize just typing this. Pretty crazy... pretty amazing... I hope he is well wherever he is. He did bring wonder to life.

As for the interesting bit of synth history and the image from Thriller. The following is a list of the synths used and the players (via micke in this VSE thread). It is an interesting look at what synths were used on THE best selling album of all time. RIP Michael. RIP The King of Pop. It definitely stuck.


"Here's a rundown of the all (?) the synths used in the making of Thriller

Yamaha CS-80
Roland Jupiter 8 (x3)
NED Synclavier II
DK Synergy
Roland Jupiter 4
Roland MC-4 microcomposer/sequencer
Yamaha GS-1 FM synth
Oberheim Four-Voice
SCI Prophet 5 (x2)
Yamaha CE20 FM preset synth
Yamaha portasound keyboard
Roland VP-330 vocoder/strings
Bode Vocoder
E-mu Emulator I
plus a couple of Minimoogs

Linn LM-1 (mostly doubled with a TR-808)
Linndrum (LM-2)

And here's a listing of the keyboardists/synthesists performing on the album:

Greg Phillinganes
Michael Boddicker (Mr. Jackson's main synth-programmer)
Steve Porcaro & David Paich
Bill Wolfer
Brian Banks & Anthony Marinelli
David Foster
Greg Smith
Tom Bahler
James Ingram"

On another non music related note, we also lost Farah Fawcett today. Sad day today.

Update via VICMOD: "And Andy huges of The Orb passed away, thats got to be synth related" Indeed.

"Andy Hughes, (born 11th November 1965 - died 12th June 2009), was an English electronic music producer from Harrow, Middlesex [1]. He is most known for his work with The Orb, where he helped mix and produce Orbus Terrarum, Orblivion, and Cydonia, as well as The Orb's singles from this period. Hughes left The Orb during the production of Cydonia, which was reworked after his departure. He also did some additional original production work and performed remixes for The Cranberries and Tangerine Dream.

Hughes died at the Liver Intensive Care Unit at Kings College Hospital in London after a short illness on June 12, 2009." via Wikipedia. And Ed McMahon. And Sky Saxon of The Seeds.

Update: Michael Jackson and the Electronium

via the Raymond Scott blog:
"In August of 1970, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy read an article in Variety magazine about Raymond Scott and his Electronium. Along with The Beatles and The Beach Boys, Motown virtually controlled the 1960s pop charts with stars like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross & The Supremes. And with THE JACKSON 5 as his latest smash supergroup, Gordy was at the height of his influence. ...

Hoby Cook was a technician at Motown’s MoWest facility who tested Scott’s Electronium extensively. 'I wanted some reactions, so as an experiment, I’d open the door and turn the volume up — loud.' Cook’s technique worked. Motown personnel heard the curious sounds and wandered in. “Cal Harris did a lot of recording with it, and MICHAEL JACKSON was fascinated,' Cook recalled. 'He was just this kid sitting there, staring at the flashing lights. He said he wanted THE JACKSON 5 to use the Electronium somehow.'"

ARP 2600 Custom Mods

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"It's my pleasure to show you the custom modifications I had installed on my ARP 2600 back in around 1979. In this video I'll discuss why I believed it was necessary to drill holes into the synthesizer for what I considered to be essential features and/or improvements to the design. I say essential because I was using the instrument to perform on live feature film recording sessions and live concert events. I needed to have preset octaves, preset intervals, longer release times, separate keyboard gates and more patching capability to be more effective in those mediums. Quick sound changes we required! Remember this was at a time when synthesizers did not have the ability to recall sounds via some sort of internal memory. I had to remember all the patches myself and use the modifications to immediately morph my sound changes in real time. I also had to get pretty good at creating patches without hearing the synth and hoping that I was close when I needed to start playing. Those were some golden years to be performing electronic instruments. It was easy to mess up but it definitely taught us some skills. I hope you enjoy seeing the mods in actions and hearing some of the accompanying stories!"

0:00 - 1:28 Introduction
1:29 - 2:49 Octave Switches
2:50 - 4:26 Preset Voltages Up and Down
4:27 - 6:14 ADSR Envelope Generator 10x Length
6:15 - 8:12 AR Envelope Generator Separate Gate
8:13 - 10:15 Multiples
10:16 - 11:02 Recap

10 Distortion Techniques: Every Synth Needs This

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"Get ready for some sonic devastation as I demonstrate some of my favorite efx pedals and techniques that deliver filthy synth sounds capable of cutting through even the thickest wall of amplified guitars! I'll show you 10 different color palates with hands-on examples ranging from tasteful overdrive, distortion, fuzz all the way to full meltdown clipping. A little of these flavors added to your synthesizer instrument will help you create more inspiring sounds and also help you require less work to bring you final mixes together. I truly believe that every synth needs a drive circuit as much as it needs filters, reverbs and delays. After watching this video I hope you'll be inspired to grab some analog distortion pedals and start discovering what I did, that I can't live without them."

00:00 Introduction
00:51 Minimoog External Input Feedback Loop
03:49 ARP 2600 Internal Preamp Distortion
07:27 Distorted LFO's
09:46 Moogerfooger MF-104M Pedal Drive Circuit
15:08 Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal
18:14 Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz Pedal
20:59 Mutron III Input Gain as Distortion Pedal
25:07 Vintage 1965 Fender Showman Amp
28:09 Joyo American Sound Pedal
32:09 Arturia Minimoog with Moogerfooger MF-104S Plug-ins

*🎹 THRILLER SYNTH GIVEAWAY 🎹* ✅ Visit https://www.anthonymarinellimusic.com... to find out how to enter ✅

🏆 Want to win the same model synthesizer used on *Thriller* to make the _iconic_ 🐸 "Froggie" Bass sound? ⏰ Hurry because the giveaway ends October 30th! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

MJ’s “Thriller” Monster Growl Bass | Synth Breakdown

video upload by Anthony Marinelli

"Join me for a detailed breakdown of how to create the Monster Growl Bass from Michael Jackson's iconic song "Thriller". I programmed this big "phat" swooping bass sound on a Minimoog Model D synthesizer while in the room with Michael, album producer Quincy Jones, songwriter Rod Temperton and keyboard player Greg Phillinganes. We'll get into all the settings that you'll need to know whether you have a hardware synth or plug-in. Also, the techniques I discuss about creating sounds can be applied to any style of music.
This sound occurs only one time in the song (at the end of the bridge) but serves as an important example about thinking dramatically when arranging and orchestrating. Rod Temperton employed this mind set when orchestrating and arranging throughout the Thriller album. Every sound serves a specific function that's related to the sound(s) before it and that's related to the listeners emotions. This is key lesson I learned working with Quincy and Rod. In this case the Monster Growl Bass is a one-time featured sound that kicks off the ever elevating and evolving 2nd half of the song."

00:00 Intro
00:23 Sweep Effect using Glide
01:15 Pitch - Oscillators
02:42 Timbre - Filter
05:55 Duration - Amplifier
06:14 Keyboard Control Voltage
07:34 Recap
07:56 Arrangement & Orchestration
08:42 Thriller Re-Creation Video with Greg Phillinganes
09:13 Visit the Website
09:21 L & S
09:36 Outro (music)
09:52 AMM Logo (music continues)

How to Make Edgar Winter's Frankenstein on Synth

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"In this ghoulishly delightful episode, I'l be dressed in my Halloween finest to transport you to the creepy and kooky labratory of "Young Frankenstein." Our set is adorned with all the trappings of the classic film, setting the perfect ambiance for an up-close breakdown of the iconic synthesizer sounds of Edgar Winter. You'll experience my frightfully-fun re-creation of the mind-blowing synthesizer wizardry that made this song a legendary rock anthem.

With my ARP 2600, I'll unravel the supernatural secrets behind this iconic track. From spine-chilling synth leads to thunderous bass lines, to the iconic "Frankenstein Sound" coming to life, you'll be forever enchanted!

I've also included pumpkin patch sheets for 6 of the sound effects in this video along with the transcribed lead solo. Go to AnthonyMarinelliMusic"

Stevie Wonder & MJ Keyboard Secrets by Greg Phillinganes | NAMM 2024

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

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