Sequential Featured Artist Interview with JULIAN POLLACK

You can find the interview on Sequential's website here.

"Julian Pollack/J3PO is a pianist, keyboardist, and producer. Described by Timeout New York as a musician who “deftly balances virtuosity with tenderness,” Julian is an in-demand sideman as well a leader of his own projects. When he was 18 years old, having just moved to New York City from his native California hometown of Berkeley, he was featured on Piano Jazz, hosted by Marianne McPartland, the syndicated NPR radio program. Professionally, Julian has recorded and performed with the likes of Marcus Miller, Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Louis Cato (The Tonight Show), David Binney, The Lesson GK, Matt Chamberlain, Tim LeFebrve, Mike “Maz” Maher (Snarky Puppy), Grace Kelly, Ari Hoenig, Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy), Nir Felder, Gil Goldstein (Esperanza Spalding), Chase Baird (Antonio Sanchez), Amanda Brown (Adele), Evan “EMAR” Marien, Grace Weber, and many others. He has played an integral role in the band The Lesson GK, which has held the famed “Lesson” Jam Session at Arelene’s Grocery on the Lower East Side of New York every Thursday night for many years. In 2019, Julian (as J3PO) will release his new album Small Plates, a collection of 12 tracks that range from simple lo-fi beats to complex jazztronica future house joints. Inspired by analog synths and sample-based music, the album fuses Julian’s love for today’s contemporary production styles with a nod to the jazz tradition and the spontaneity of live music and improvisation. Julian lives in Los Angeles, California.

We chatted with Julian on how he’s using Sequential’s instruments in his music."

---
You can find previous posts featuring Sequential's Spotlight series here.

Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel - with J3PO

video upload by J3PO

"In this video, Julian 'J3PO' Pollack discusses the pitch bend and mod wheels on synthesizers and how to use them with the most expressive technique.

Video Navigation:
00:00 Intro
01:04 Minimoog Exploration
03:53 Prophet Rev 2 Exploratio
10:49 Outro

***

Julian has presets available for the Prophet Rev 2, Prophet 6, OB-6, Prophet 5/10, Omnisphere, Softube Model 84, Model 72, Arturia OB-Xa, Arturia Stage-73 and a free bank of 50 sounds for the free VST synth “OB-Xd” — all available on my website. If you're a Nord Stage 3 user, download my bank from the Nord Keyboards website. I have a sample pack, "J3PO x The Ox" (hip hop and soul keyboard and drum loops) available on Splice.

***

Julian “J3PO” Pollack is a Los Angeles-based pianist/keyboardist and producer described by Timeout New York as a musician who “deftly balances virtuosity with tenderness.” Julian is known for his innovative use of keyboards and synthesizers in jazz, fusion, hip-hop, and electronic styles of music. Julian has toured extensively with the legendary artist Marcus Miller, as well as performing with artists such as Talib Kweli, David Sanborn, Michael League, Eric Harland, and others. Julian has worked closely as a sound designer with keyboard/synth companies Nord Keyboards, Sequential, and Oberheim, and has created factory presets for the Prophet 5, the Oberheim OB-X8, Take 5, Nord Stage 3, and Nord Wave 2. In addition to these hardware keyboard companies, Julian also has done sound design for Universal Audio (most recently, Opal, a new wavetable synthesizer), Softube, and Cherry Audio."

J3PO King Korg Neo Presets -- Official Sounds Demo

video upload by J3PO

"You can purchase the preset pack here:
https://www.julianpollack.com/shop
The introductory price is $29.

All FX (chorus, reverbs, delays, etc.) are coming from within the patches themselves i.e. there's no other external processing on this demo save for some slight light leveling/compression for the purpose of uploading to YouTube.

The King Korg Neo is an unexpected gem, challenging assumptions about what a compact, portable, digital synth can be. Its sound is both vibrant and complex, weaving warm, analog-like textures with modern digital tones that feel raw yet polished. With a bold 24-voice polyphony and versatile oscillators, the King Korg Neo manages to feel timeless and forward-looking, carrying an unmistakable authenticity.

I also have patches available for the Prophet Rev 2, Prophet 6, OB-6, OB-X8, Prophet 5/10, Softube Model 84, Model 72, Arturia OB-Xa, Arturia Stage-73 and many others. If you're a Nord Stage 3 user, download my bank from the Nord Keyboards website. I have a sample pack, "J3PO x The Ox" (hip hop and soul keyboard and drum loops) available on Splice.

About the sound designer: Julian “J3PO” Pollack is a Los Angeles-based pianist/keyboardist and producer described by Timeout New York as a musician who “deftly balances virtuosity with tenderness.” Julian is known for his innovative use of keyboards and synthesizers in jazz, fusion, hip-hop, and electronic styles of music. Julian has toured extensively with the legendary artists Marcus Miller and Chris Botti, as well as performing with greats such as Herbie Hancock, Talib Kweli, David Sanborn, Michael League, Eric Harland, and others. Julian has worked closely as a sound designer with keyboard/synth companies Nord Keyboards, Sequential, and Oberheim, and has created factory presets for the Prophet 5, the Oberheim OB-X8, Take 5, Nord Stage 3, Nord Wave 2, and many others. In addition to these hardware keyboard companies, Julian also has done sound design for Universal Audio, Softube, and Cherry Audio.

Currently, Julian works exclusively with Spectrasonics in Pasadena, California."

Dave Smith Instruments In The Spotlight With the Prophet-6 and Julian Cisneros

You can find the full interview on DSI's website here.

"Julian Cisneros is a passionate, creative, full time composer based in Los Angeles, California. Julian’s professional career began in 2010 composing music for iOS apps and progressed to working with a multitude of clients in the corporate, film, and television industries. Some of Julian’s clients have included Disney, Lucasfilm, RED Digital Cinema, Warner Bros., Hasbro, Chris Burkard Studios, Patagonia, Huxham Creative Studio, Vizio, Dolby Digital, Panasonic, and many more. Julian currently resides in Santa Clarita, California with his wife Briana, daughter Ayla, and son Jude.

We chatted with Julian on how he’s using the Prophet-6"



---
You can find previous posts featuring DSI's Spotlight series here.

Dream/Vol a Calgary - Julian "J3PO" Pollack Trio

video upload by Julian "J3PO" Pollack

"This is a live-in-studio video of two original tunes of mine from my latest album Soul & Circuitry (Ropeadope 2025), as a medley: 'Dream' and 'Vol à Calgary' -- we've been playing this live on the road and it's been really fun to explore it every night. The trio features me (Julian Pollack) on keyboards, FX, and sampler, Gianluca Pellerito on drums & SPD-SX, and Riccardo Oliva on bass. This music was recorded live with no overdubs, in one take.

Recorded by Luca Mezzadraat at Hukapan Studios, Milan, Italy.
Filming Director: Alessandro Puncuh / alepuncuh
Cinematography: Stefan Stechel / who.ssteph
A NoAnswer(s)Found production / noanswersfound.studio
Audio mixed by Julian Pollack https://www.instagram.com/iamj3po/?hl=en

About the artist:

Julian 'J3PO' Pollack is a Los Angeles-based keyboardist, producer, and sound designer, renowned for his virtuosic yet soulful blend of jazz, fusion, hip-hop, and electronic music. He has toured and/or recorded with legends including Marcus Miller, Terence Blanchard, Chris Botti, Herbie Hancock, Santana, Talib Kweli, and many others. He has released several acclaimed solo albums, most recently SOUL & CIRCUITRY (Ropeadope, 2025). A former guest on NPR’s Piano Jazz at just 18, Julian is also a sought-after sound designer for top synth companies like Nord, Sequential, Oberheim, and Spectrasonics.

Listen to the new album on your streaming service of choice: https://lnk.to/soulandcircuitry"

Sequential Artist Spotlight Interview with Julian Cisneros

You can find the interview on Sequential's website here.

"Julian Cisneros is a film composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for taking the traditional orchestra and unifying its versatility with arrays of analog synthesis and organic texture. The result is a continuously evolving sound that integrates with his various projects.

In 2020, Julian launched a licensing site featuring his diverse catalog of commissions from some of the worlds top studios and brands. Some of his clients include RED Digital Cinema, National Geographic, Disney, Lucasfilm, Honda, Filson, Black Diamond, Mitsubishi, OceanX, Vizio, Prana and many more.

Based in sunny Orange County, California, Julian continues to innovate and collaborate with filmmakers all over the world.

We chatted with Julian on how he uses Sequential instruments in his music."

---
You can find additional posts featuring Sequential's Spotlight series here.

The Pod - "Techno is not a Joke"

YouTube via clothears2000. For The Mighty Boosh fans out there.
"'Techno is not a Joke'.
Animated adventures of techno art collective The Pod. The Pod are a late eighties electronic dance outfit trying to cope with the mid nineties post rave come down. 'The most technologically advanced sit com in the world'. I made this about five years ago and has never really been seen except at a few screenings and festivals. Stars myself and Julian Barratt. Still one of my favourite films. Julian is brilliant and my performance isn't too bad for once. Also stars my mate Andy Bone."

Videos:
The Pod. part i. The Animated Adventures.
The Pod. Part ii The Animated Adventures of The Pod. .
The Pod. Part iiiThe Animated Adventures of The Pod..
The Pod Techno Dawn
"The Single Techno Dawn was released by The Pod on the 1st of January 2000."

And more:
The Pod - Community Techno Unit

YouTube via gullilaura. Via Music Thing where you can find more.
"Julian Barratt + Tim Hope = The Pod!
Uploaded by Whiterose from the Mighty Boosh forum"

The POD

YouTube via catmink
"Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Tim Hope in their experimental techno group before the mighty Boosh.
Take the piss out of Donna Air, tell us the meaning of life and then deliver one of the greatest pieces of music never to be known to mankind. . . . untill now"
via Music Thing

Julian "J3PO" Pollack Sessions: #2 Let's Put It Together

Published on Jan 16, 2019 NordKeyboards

"The second episode of our exclusive J3PO Sessions features the energetic piece "Let's Put It Together" where Julian blends jazz with some experimental electronic genres!

All patches used in this session are included in the brilliant J3PO Signature Sound Bank for Nord Stage 3 - available for free at nordkeyboards.com!

Read more about Julian "J3PO" Pollack (The Lesson GK, Marcus Miller, members of Snarky Puppy, Grace Weber) here: https://www.nordkeyboards.com/artist/...

The J3PO session was recorded live at RMV Studios in Stockholm, November 2018.

Drums: Morgan Ågren
Bass: Gustaf Hielm
Audio Engineer: Johan Eckerblad
Composition/Audio Mixing: Julian "J3PO" Pollack
Cameras: Oscar Barkenbom/Benjamin Cotton
#iseenord"

Julian "J3PO" Pollack Sessions: #5 1988

Published on Apr 17, 2019 NordKeyboards

"This fifth episode of our exclusive J3PO Sessions is based on some of Julian's amazing 80s retro synth patches, inspired by his analog synth collection. All patches are included in the brilliant J3PO Signature Sound Bank for Nord Stage 3 - available for free at nordkeyboards.com!

Read more about Julian "J3PO" Pollack (The Lesson GK, Marcus Miller, members of Snarky Puppy, Grace Weber) here: https://www.nordkeyboards.com/artist/...

The J3PO session was recorded live at RMV Studios in Stockholm, November 2018.

Drums: Morgan Ågren
Bass: Gustaf Hielm
Audio Engineer: Johan Eckerblad
Composition/Audio Mixing: Julian 'J3PO' Pollack
Cameras: Oscar Barkenbom/Benjamin Cotton"

Driscoll Modular

Update: Some comments with additional info from Ken below. Click on comments at the end of this post.

Wow. Josue Arias sent this to me. You can put this on the list of the rarest of the rare. I'm not one to benchmark rarity against, but I've never seen or even heard of one of these before. The only thing that comes up on Google is this site with a brief reference of the Driscoll. The Analog Heaven archives come up dry as well.

Josue refers to the Driscoll as a Driscoll/Serge modular. He states, "the 'serge' part is just because the similar modules in it (Slope generators, Random voltages, cv processors, Analog shift register,...) and because my system even have a serge 5 stage sequencing programmer!, but driscoll designed the same functions than the serge modular using another electronic aproach and design, so is not a clone(!)"

The Driscoll was built in the 70s by Australian composer/designer/engineer Julian Driscoll. Josue, believes the original Driscoll was a 10-12 panel system.

As for the sound?
"The sound for this synth is incredible, its really "organic", it sound like creatures more than electronics : ) I have it next to my 4 panel serge and I really like the driscoll sound a lot more."

http://www.cyndustries.com/bugmusic/17.mp3

"All the water drops/woodblocks/marimba/rithms, comes from the driscoll. I think it show the organic qualities. I`m ataching you a couple of photos but they are from my old studio"

Wow. Thanks for sharing this Josue.

Update:
Josue gave me the ok to post the following thread. Thanks Josue!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I`ve found some of the conversaions I had with australian composer
Warren Burt, He used the Driscoll and even it have a CD now for sale
made with it!:

"Hello Mr. Burt,

I`m Josue Arias, a musician and sound engineer from Madrid(SPAIN)
I just got the old Segemodular tape from 1983, and I`ve found you have
a nice piece there called "You want, maybe, something a little intense
diatonic?"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Writing music on the MSX (with FM expanders) w/ cTrix & Julian

Writing music on the MSX (with FM expanders) w/ cTrix & Julian from ctrix on Vimeo.

"A look into how to create music on the MSX home computer using FM expanders. Ft. Julian (CMEN) from the Netherlands, and cTrix from Australia."

5 Year Old Julian Presents his KORG DS-8 Sounds

Published on Dec 18, 2012

"My son Julian demonstrates his own programmed KORG DS-8 sounds.
Prepare yourself for a palette of cool and bizarre tunes!

Kudos to KORG for the design of the DS-8! Even a five-year-old kid can program and understand this FM synthesizer!

---

Mein Sohn Julian demonstriert seine selbstprogrammierten KORG DS-8 sounds.
Macht euch auf coole und bizarre Klänge gefasst!

Hut ab für das Design des DS-8, ihr lieben Leute bei KORG! Selbst ein fünfjähriges Kind kann diesen FM Synthesizer bedienen und verstehen!"

The Sound of the Nord Stage 4 ft J3PO - Layers & Pads

video upload by nordkeyboards

"In this second episode Julian "J3PO" Pollack showcasing Layered sounds and Pads on the Nord Stage 4. All patches in this sound demos series are included in the Nord Stage 4 factory bank.
Watch all episodes here:

• The Sound of the ...
#nordstage4 #j3po #layers #pads #iseenord

The Nord Stage 4 is a new generation of our acclaimed flagship series. With an intuitive new panel design, a premium triple sensor keybed, complete effect sections for each layer and massive enhancements to our award-winning technologies, the Nord Stage 4 sets a new standard. Read more at https://www.nordstage4.com/

About J3PO:
Julian “J3PO” Pollack is an established keyboardist/producer based in Los Angeles who has recorded/performed with the likes of Marcus Miller, Talib Kweli, Dave Sanborn, Kamasi Washington, Michael League (Snarky Puppy) and The Lesson GK.

The Sound of the Nord Stage 4:
Performance and demos by Julian "J3PO" Pollack
Audio Engineer: Sam Brawner
Video production: Hrdwrker
Video editing: Jonas Embring
Executive Producer: David Sjöqvist
Location: Blue Dream Studios, LA
Gear: Nord Stage 4 88"

Driscoll Modular Still Available

I posted on the Driscoll Modular back on September 29. The following comment just came in on the post. If you wanted one, here's your chance. : )

Julian driscoll said...
Hi all

I am Julian Driscoll, who designed and built
the Driscoll Modular.
I can still build them.
My email address is jcdrisc[@]melbpc.org.au
I am in Melbourne, Australia
I do custom work also
snail mail :
4/2 Bona Vista Ave
Surrey Hills
Vic 3127
Australia

cheers, Julian D

Cascadia at the Dancespace Featuring Bruce Bayard, Todd Barton and Sean Julian

(Don't miss the new release announcement below!)

For those of you in the Pacific Northwest:

"Saturday, November 23, 7:30pm

The Dancespace, 280 East Hersey #10, Ashland Oregon

Bruce Bayard’s multimedia performance features guest artists Todd Barton and Sean Julian. An audio soundtrack will be improvised by the three of us, each on the Buchla Electronic Music Easel. The visual projection is a collage of video clips, stills, words and animations.

Tickets and more information here"

---

Also Todd Barton has a new release coming out this Friday. This one is a collaboration with Bruce Bayard, and Nathan Moody.

"Announcing sStart from Silence,' a live improvised collaboration album by Todd Barton, Bruce Bayard, and Nathan Moody. Out this Friday! https://nathanmoody.bandcamp.com

Introducing the J3PO Signature Sound Bank for Nord Wave 2

NordKeyboards

"We're happy to release the J3PO Signature Sound Bank for Nord Wave 2 containing a unique selection of sounds created by Julian "J3PO" Pollack. J3PO has re-created some of his favourite analog patches, smooth FM synths, beautiful sampled based sounds as well as exclusive J3PO signature patches. Most of the sounds are included in the demo series "The Sound of the Nord Wave 2" that was released earlier this summer.

Julian "J3PO" Pollack is an established pianist/keyboardist, producer, and audio engineer based out of Los Angeles, CA and has worked with the likes of Marcus Miller, Michael League (Snarky Puppy) and Kamasi Washington. He is also a member of the renowed live act The Lesson GK.

Download the J3PO Signature Sound Bank for Nord Wave 2 here:
https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-l..."

Sequential Synth Tips with J3PO / Julian Pollack

Published on May 12, 2020 Sequential

"Welcome to 'Sequential Synth Tips,' where some of our favorite artists share their tips, tricks, and techniques on Sequential synths. In this episode, pianist Julian Pollack aka J3PO demonstrates how to ‘map’ filter cutoff and other parameters to the mod wheel on the OB-6 and Prophet-6. Follow J3PO here: http://www.julianpollack.com/"

Why J3PO Keeps Coming Back to the Prophet 5/10

video upload by Julian J3PO Pollack

"The Prophet 5 and Prophet 10 (both the reissue and the vintage ones) are iconic synths—but are they still relevant today?

My name is Julian Pollack (AKA J3PO) and In this video, I share my honest thoughts after spending years with the Prophet 10 reissue: what makes it so inspiring, why I can get bored with it,, and why—despite its limitations—I keep coming back to it.

No FX. Very limited modulation. Mono output. No frills. Just that raw, three-dimensional sound that somehow cuts through everything and makes us want to come back for more.

🎛️ Get my Prophet 5/10 presets from my website: https://www.julianpollack.com/shop/p/...

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
01:40 Dry Examples (no FX)
04:03 Lead Patches with FX
04:59 Exp. & Sustain Pedal Tricks
07:10 Sawtooth Patch with Chorus & Reverb
08:36 Patch Demos with FX
11:39 Conclusion

If you're curious about the Prophet 5/10—or wondering why it was reissued and why people still talk about the original vintage ones decades later—this video is for you.

All the music you hear in this video (including the underscore) was created with ONLY my Prophet 10."

Keyfax Omnibus Edition

via this auction

"Keyfax Omnibus Edition by Julian Colbeck. An essential reference tool when buying a used synth or keyboard. Julian Colbeck has played just about every synth ever made and so is one of the top authorities on the subject."

Tons of vintage synths in this one.

Sequential Synth Tips #10 with J3PO / Julian Pollack: OB-6 Side-Chain Compression Technique

Sequential

"Welcome to 'Sequential Synth Tips,' where some of our favorite artists share their tips, tricks, and techniques on Sequential synths. In this episode, pianist Julian Pollack aka J3PO demonstrates how to set the amp and filter attack on the OB-6 to achieve side-chain compression type effects."

You can find J3PO at http://www.julianpollack.com/

Sequential Synth Tips