Bad Gear - Sequential Pro 4

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are countless reasons to get a synth created by the one and only Dave Smith: the gravitas of early Prophets, the mind-boggling sound design potential of the Evolver or the intuitive UI concept of vector synthesis in general - just to name a few.

However, he also made the Tetr4 .

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:42 Overview Dave Smith Tetra
01:57 Synth Engine, Oscillators
02:37 Filter Section
03:01 Envelopes, LFOs
03:18 Mod Matrix
03:29 Polyphony Features, Arpeggiator, Sequencer
03:58 Workflow
04:28 What else ( Multitimbrality, Limitations, Pricing, Thanks)
05:06 Hate Screen
05:30 Jam 1 ( Pro-1 meets 80s Poly Synth )
06:19 Jam 2 ( Classic Analog Poly Sounds )
07:22 Finale ( PsyTrance )
07:49 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Cold as Ice???

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. In a musical landscape dominated by the oftentimes characterless clarity of modern digital technology synth fans are yearning for the organic warmth of analog instruments.

Today we are going to talk about the 2019 Modal Argon-8 wavetable synthesizer which - no pun intended - offers the exact polar opposite.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:44 Overview Modal Argon 8
01:37 Wavetable Oscillators
02:00 Special Oscillator Features (Modifiers, FM Synthesis )
02:33 Filter Section
02:55 Modulators
03:10 Workflow, Mod Matrix
03:20 FX Section
03:43 Menu Structure
03:53 Arpeggiator , Sequencer
04:12 Patches
04:47 What else??? ( Software Editor , MPE Midi, Pricing, Thanks)
05:09 Hate Screen
05:33 Jam 1 ( Arctic House )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Polar Electro )
07:17 Finale ( Below-zero Downtempo )
07:48 Verdict"

Bad Gear - The Game Changer

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Back in the day when synth nerds had to walk 10 miles in the snow uphill both ways to get wasted and find a place for music production the term game changer had a completely different meaning.

Today we are going to talk about the very first E-mu Proteus. This 80s synth and dumbed-down offspring of the Emulator sampler range not only made their iconic tones more accessible, its presets also burned themselves into the global pop cultural consciousness.

Bad Gear - The Game Changer
The Gamechanger
Emu Proteus
E-mu Proteus 1
E-mu Proteus/1
meme video

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:52 Overview Emu Proteus 1
01:22 Famous Sounds and Samples
02:14 How does Proteus Work?
02:38 Envelopes and LFOs
02:52 Pseudo-Chorus
03:06 Why Proteus was a Game Changer back in the day
03:32 Modulation Section, Midi Implementation, Studio Integration
04:00 What else??? (Pricing, Proteus Generations,...)
04:45 Hate Screen
05:12 Jam 1 ( Retro Console Game Music )
06:08 Jam 2 ( 90s Jungle , Drum'n'Bass , Whatever... )
07:04 Finale ( Synthwave , 90s TV Show Soundtrack )
07:34 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Texture Lab

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. If sound synthesis in general was a family, granular synthesis would be the basement-dwelling and terminally online distant music producer cousin who listens to the sounds of humpback whales and lives off a diet of - depending on the moon phase - stone age keto or vegan MREs.

Today we are going to talk about Liven Texture Lab. This 2023 Sonicware synth and sibling of the Sonicware Liven Ambient takes granular synthesizer out of its natural software synthesizer habitat, its UI is devoid of any proper visual cues to make the technique somewhat controllable for music production and comes with two goldfish brains of sample memory."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:59 Overview Liven Texture Lab
01:46 Short Granular Synthesis Tutorial
03:12 LFOs, Envelopes
03:24 Resonant Filter
03:33 Reverb Effect ( Shimmer Reverb )
03:52 Lack of USB
04:08 Processing of External Audio, Freeze Effect
04:17 What else? ( Sequencer , Internal Speaker , Arpeggiator , Thanks!!!)
04:52 Hate Screen
05:18 Jam 1 ( Downtempo Weirdness )
06:07 Jam 2 ( More Downtempo Weirdness )
07:05 Finale ( 128 BPM Weirdness )
07:35 Verdict
06:46 Patreon Granular Shoutout

Bad Gear - The Gold Standard

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Senior synth citizens like me might get the impression that the technical evolution is going backwards: the mass market returned to the dark ages of analog, there’s an obvious disconnect between traditional manufacturers and their customers and sampling hardware is slowly reapproaching the tech specs of 1991.

Today we are going to talk about the Korg EMX-1. This 2003 Electribe is considered to be the gold standard for groovebox design by many - and a gimmicky hotchpotch of cheap-sounding late dance sounds for more or less everyone else.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:00 Overview Electribe EMX1
01:31 Korg Electribe EMX-1 vs. Korg Electribe ESX-1
01:49 The Synth Engines
02:31 Sample Playback
02:50 Filter Section
03:08 Modulators and their Limitations
03:23 FX Section
03:31 Drum Parts
03:50 Workflow ( Arpeggiator , Sequencer )
04:23 Additional Features, External Input
04:52 Tubes / Valves / Toooooooooooooobs
05:20 What else??? (Pricing, Thanks,...)
05:38 Hate Screen
06:01 Jam 1 ( House )
06:59 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
08:07 Finale ( Electro )
08:37 Verdict"

Bad Gear - The Y2K Bug

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. While we - the inhabitants of this post-everything dystopia - live in the best times for being a synth nerd, our ancestors and younger selves who just survived the Y2K Bug had to deal with a much bleaker market for electronic musical instruments .

Today we are going to talk about the SH-32. This unholy offspring of a JP-8000 and an MC-303, 2002 not-a- synth not-yet-a groovebox and Buchla Easel for kids design abomination is not only peak Roland Music but also seems to be the blueprint for the Roland SH-4D .

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview Roland SH-32 Synthesizer
01:24 Oscillators
02:24 Filter
02:51 FX Section
03:10 Groovebox Features
03:29 Drum Samples
03:43 Performance Mode, Multitimbrality
03:54 Pros & Cons of Performance Mode (mostly cons)
04:09 Arpeggiator / Sequencer / Chord Mode
04:55 What else? (Polyphony, Presets, Low Boost)
05:56 Hate Screen
06:23 Jam 1 ( DIY Trance )
07:23 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
08:24 Finale ( Retro Techno )
08:54 Verdict"

Bad Gear - The Legendary D-50

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Every now and then this show needs some blasphemy, a little slap in the face of iconic music history milestones and one of these 'he’s obviously trolling' moments true Bad Gear fans crave at least once a year.

Today we are going to talk about the legendary D-50. This LA synth and Roland’s answer to the Yamaha DX7 not only had a huge impact on the sound aesthetics of the late 80s, it is also still relevant for Enya Orinoco Flow Covers, creating high end General Midi Kontakt Libraries, channeling your Reagan Era soap opera PTSD AND I might have a point here…

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview Roland D-50
01:11 WTF is Linear Arithmetic Synthesis ???
01:57 Virtual Analog before we called it that way
02:32 Splits and other Multitimbral Pleasures
02:48 Effects (Reverb, Chorus, Chase)
03:05 Idiosyncrasies of an 80s Synth
03:24 The Joystick
03:40 Controllers, Flagship Synth Features
04:04 Presets ( Fantasia , Pizzagogo , Soundtrack )
04:23 What Else??? (Pricing, Thanks,...)
04:46 Hate Screen
05:12 Jam 1 ( LoFi Beats )
06:03 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:10 Finale ( Epic Techno )
07:40 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Nightmare before CHRISTMAS

video upload by AudioPilz

"If you liked the finale video you will certainly like Siriusmo - Itchy/Cornerboy" Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:24 Overview Elektron Octa track II
01:03 Engines ( Live Looping , Sample Slicing , Mixing ,...)
01:53 Why choose Octatrack over Digitakt
02:26 Flex vs. Static Engines ( Disk Streaming )
02:55 Synthesizer Features, Effects
03:21 Sampling
03:46 Elektron Sequencer
04:20 Parts, Scenes, Crossfader Assignment
04:46 Arpeggiator
05:00 What else? (Pricing, Thanks,...)
05:24 Hate Screen
05:54 Jam 1 ( Techno for Facebook Dads )
06:46 Jam 2 ( Dawless Downbeat )
07:52 Finale ( Techno for TikTok Kids )
08:20 Verdict

Tonverk at 9:03.

Bad Gear - The END of Volcas

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Volcas are awesome: the original meme synths that kicked off an ongoing trend of miniaturization in music technology and turned countless promising musicians into irredeemable gear addicts.

However, everything must come to an end, so today we are going to talk about Volca Sample New Generation. You might be surprised that my original Volca Sampler - although prominently featured on this channel - never actually received the Bad Gear treatment, that this is the very last member of the existing Volca family to be reviewed here and let’s discuss why I don’t think there’s ever going to be another Volca as we know it.

Volca Sample is not a sampler

Bad Gear - The END of Volcas

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview Korg Wolca 2
01:57 How to play tonal stuff
02:12 UI, Workflow
02:49 Reverb Effect, Analog Isolator
03:12 Sequencer (Step Jump, Active Step, Motion Seq)
04:00 Sample Import, Computer Integration
04:27 What else??? (Connectivity, Pricing,...)
04:50 Hate
05:15 Jam 1 ( Lo-fi House )
06:11 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:16 Finale ( Proto Bass Music )
07:46 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Just because YOU want one...

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Just because you want one doesn’t mean it’s good.

At the first glance Muse is ticking all the “Moog clones the Behringer yamaha CS-80” boxes.

Bad Gear - Just because YOU want one...

Moog One
Polymoog
Moog Model D
analog synthesizer
analog synth
polyphonic
synth keyboard
flagship synth

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Moog Muse
01:14 Tuning (or lack thereof), Calibration, Boot Time
01:25 Oscillators
02:17 Dual Ladder Filter
02:45 Modulators (Envelopes, LFOs)
03:03 Mod Map, Mixer
03:29 Delay Effect , Low Cut
03:41 Polyphony , Binaural , Bitimbrality ( Layers , Splits )
04:09 Arpeggiator , Sequencer , Chord Mode
04:30 Controllers
04:40 Focus, Menu Structure
05:02 Presets
05:24 Connectivity, Pricing,...
06:01 Hate
06:24 Jam 1 ( Techno or House or Whatever )
07:21 Jam 2 ( Epic Stuff )
08:35 Finale ( Mainstream Melodic Techno )
09:05 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Microkorg the 2nd

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Sequel to iconic movies tend to have a bad reputation - which is not always fair. Who doesn’t like stone cold classic like Jaws II or Space Jam - A New Legacy and Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem is a guilty pleasure of mine for a reason.

Today we are going to talk about Microkorg II . This direct-to-Bad Gear synthesizer and successor to the OG hipster keyboard comes with all the features that made the original so great like minikeys and a front panel real estate-hogging genre selector and combines them with the blessings of gamification . Masterpiece!

Bad Gear - I'll stick to the OLD ONE!!!
synth keyboard

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:58 Overview Korg Microkorg 2
01:49 Synth Engine, Oscillators
02:22 Filter
02:36 Envelopes, LFOs, Mod Matrix
02:50 Timbres
03:09 Effects Section (Modulation FX, Reverb, Delay)
03:16 Arpeggiator, Looper, Vocoder
03:48 What else??? (Trophies, Presets, Pricing)
04:35 Hate
04:55 Jam 1 ( Techno )
05:46 Jam 2 ( 90s Beats )
06:45 Finale ( 2000s Bass Music )
07:17 Verdict
08:22 Patreon Vocoder Shoutout"

Bad Gear - The Original Boutique

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Roland is inarguably the greatest synth brand in history but even die-hard fans like me have a hard time dealing with the miniscule displays, buzz-killing menu diving and product philosophies that seem like they were conceived after a 72h non-stop bender.

Today we are going to talk about the MC-202. This 80s analog synth and sequencer not only might as well be the secret lovechild of an SH101 and TB303, it also appears to be the root of all the aforementioned evil.

Thanks to Philipp of Feedback Underground Studios for giving me access to his beautiful artifact. Serious requests are welcome to: fbugs@gmx.at

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:53 Overview Roland MC202
00:58 Synth Engine, Similarities to the Roland SH-101
01:41 Why the Sequencer is worse than the Roland TB-303
02:17 Workflow
02:53 2nd Sequencer Lane
02:59 Lack of Memory, Tape Backup
03:12 Connectivity, Limitations
03:46 Patches
04:08 Differences to the Roland SH101
04:20 Mods, Bends
04:49 Pricing, Thanks!!!
05:00 Hate
05:29 Jam 1 (I have no Idea what I'm doing!!!)
06:20 Jam 2 ( Elektro Funk )
07:25 Finale ( Downtempo Trance )
07:57 Verdict"

Bad Gear - That Teenage Engineering Thing

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Synth nerds shopping for gear will come across plenty of options that seem a little overpriced: generic raspberry pis in plastic enclosures, iconic instruments going for around 50% of the repair cost needed to keep them up and running for the next 5 years and the usual Reverb madness raising the blood pressure of GAS victims all around the globe.

Today we are going to talk about PO-33. While this 2018 lofi sampler, microscopic groovebox and indispensable salted caramel latte chaser is both affordable AND powerful, it might be part of Teenage Engineering’s most perfidious strategy to go EP-133 medieval on your wallet.

That Teenage Engineering Thing
Bad Gear - OP-TOY!!!
Pocket Operator
Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O!
TE PO33 KO
Teenage Engineering OP-XY

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:06 Overview Teenage Engineering PO-33
01:33 Audio Quality, Melodic, Drums, Slicing ,...
02:20 Polyphony, Basic Features
02:50 Punch-in FX
03:11 Sequencer
03:38 Workflow Hacks
04:04 Connectivity, Sync, Audio
04:18 Enclosures, Pricing
04:41 Hate
05:06 Jam 1 ( Downbeat )
06:06 Jam 2 ( DIY Trance )
06:55 Finale ( MicroHouse )
07:25 Verdict"

Bad Gear - P-6

video upload by AudioPilz

New intro music.

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Roland is the ACME corporation of music technology: no day passes without me finding out about yet another strange product from the colossal portfolio they built up over the last 5 decades.

Today we are going to talk about P-6 and it seems like Roland took every single bit of sampling technology from this poison cabinet of intellectual property and put it in this LoFi sampler for ants.


Bad Gear - P-6
Roland P-6
LoFi for Ants

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:49 Overview Roland Aira Compact P-6
01:12 Sampling Process
01:19 SP-404 Style FX Section
01:30 Other Similarities to Boss SP-303 , SP-202 ,...
01:52 Pads, Midi, Sequencer
02:35 Internal Microphone , other Sampling Sources
02:47 Sample Playback, Filter, Reverb / Delay , FX
03:25 Chromatic Sample Playback, Granular Synth Engine
03:50 Sample Chopping
04:06 Limitations, Pricing
04:55 Hate
05:19 Jam 1 ( House )
06:17 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:23 Finale ( Abstract Downtempo )
07:57 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Move (to Trash???)

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. For me, an Ableton Live user since version 2, Ableton can’t do no wrong - not that their products are so great but my deep-fried meme video brain has just become too used to hand-drawing midi notes in an Excel style grid while clipping the master and conjuring CPU peaks with a janky Max4Live patch.

Today we are going to talk about Ableton Move. While previous Bad Gear-worthy Ableton hardware didn’t really tickle my fancy, this brand-new 2022 ableton move leak incarnate, unholy lovechild of the iOS app ableton note and ableton Push 3 sawed in half and “Mom, can we have Novation Circuit - there is novation Circuit tracks at home” hipster toy and groovebox with akai MPC pads was an instabuy for me.

Bad Gear - Move (to Trash???)"

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Bad Gear - XD

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. LOL.

At the first glance Korg Minilogue XD is ticking all the boxes.

Bad Gear - XD

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:49 Overview Mini Logue XD
01:17 Oscillator Section ( Analog Synth )
01:46 Noise Generator
01:54 VPM ( 2 OP FM Synth )
02:00 SDKs ( Digital Synth )
02:43 Limitations of SDK Implementation
02:54 Filter
03:11 Modulators (or lack thereof)
03:49 FX Section
04:10 Librarian Software
04:18 Sequencer, Arpeggiator, Chord Mode
04:51 What else??? ( Pricing, Minilogue XD Module )
05:23 Hate
05:50 Jam 1 ( Elektro )
06:40 Jam 2 ( Techno )
07:36 Finale ( Balearic House )
08:06 Verdict"

Bad Gear - The Beginner

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. People go DAWless for a reason: swap out the mind-numbing computer screens for the luxury of a pocket calculator display, embrace the limitations of whatever crappy CPU was cheapest during the kickstarter campaign and never get ripped off by Spotify because nobody will listen to your bleeps and bloops anyway.

Today we are going to talk about Circuit Tracks. This 2021 groovebox and barely upgraded successor to the OG Novation Circuit took this philosophy to the extremes: gateway drug price tag, completely screenless UI and a workflow so minimalist it perfectly fits the lifestyle of a generation that will never be able to afford a home."

Bad Gear - Fail to the King

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Over the last 30 years Korg has released many iconic products worthy of a reissue: a Prophecy operable without a quantum physics degree, a new Kaoss Pad that actually works and maybe even an Electribe that deserves the name.

However, for reasons completely beyond my comprehension we need to talk about KingKorg Neo. This brand new virtual analog synth is basically identical to a more or less forgotten 2013 Korg instrument by the same name without the Matrix reference and is - just like its predecessor - a prime example for how to mess up both product launch timing and pricing strategy."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:03 Overview KingKorg Neo
01:07 Front Panel Analysis
01:56 Comparison Neo vs. Original KingKorg
02:28 Oscillator Section
03:14 Structure, Filter
03:32 Envelopes, LFOs
03:44 Menu Diving, Mod Matrix, Bitimbrality
04:07 FX Section, Vocoder
04:38 What else (Build Quality, Pricing, Thanks)
05:11 Hate
05:37 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:32 Jam 2 ( SynthWave Stuff )
07:29 Finale ( Drum'n'Bass )
08:01 Verdict
09:18 Patreon Vocoder Shoutout

Bad Gear - NOT the P-6!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. In spite of my limitless love for Roland in general, my efforts to turn even their most controversial gear into a sought-after classic and the fact that I was prophetically advertising their instruments months before the actual product announcement, our favorite synth brand didn’t send me their new Aira Compact P-6.

However, today we are going to talk about the Korg ES-1. Putting this creative sampler from the year 2000 on the show is not only my personal way of coping with the unfathomable disappointment, the two instruments are - a few modern bells and whistles aside - suspiciously similar.

Bad Gear - NOT the P-6!!!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:01 Overview Korg Electribe ES1
01:26 Stereo Samples, Choke Groups
01:38 Beat Slicing ( Sample Chopping )
02:00 Filter, Reverse
02:05 Limitations
02:18 Stock 90s Samples
02:29 Smart Media Card , Data Management
03:09 Roland TR - Style Sequencer
03:37 More Limitations
03:49 FX, Motion Recording, Delay
04:25 Gate External Sounds
04:32 More Roland P6 Comparisons, What Else? Pricing
04:53 Hate
05:24 Jam 1 ( Dirty Groove )
06:20 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:21 Finale ( 2-Step )
07:50 Verdict"

Bad Gear - Analog Rytm

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Given the amount of screen time Elektron gear gets on this channel one might be surprised that all of this belonged to their simple, easily accessible and super affordable line of beginner products.

Today we are going to talk about Analog Rytm MKII. This 2018 analog drum machine is the very first top of the line Elektron instrument to be featured on this show and while it comes with plenty of pro features for music production my humble Digitakt is missing the controversy surrounding it is basically the same."

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