Unending | Sequential Prophet VS improvisation

video upload by MIDERA

"I was playing the Kawai SX-240 against the Jupiter 6 tonight and started to realize "wow, the Jupiter's filter is really quite 'thin' compared to the SX-240. It's impressive how much better the SX-240 sounds to my ears... so then I pulled out the Sequential Prophet VS and was kind of blown away by how good it and its filters sound. Certainly it is in a class all its own. I found this patch and just really enjoyed improvising.

And this patch was just really inharmonic and just fit these notes…

Sequential Prophet VS
Fractal Audio FM3 for FX"

Missing | Fender Rhodes Electric Piano and Kawai SX-240 improvisation

video upload by MIDERA

"The other night - I learned about the Yamaha CP-70. Now I want one. They sound so good. I can't usually play acoustic piano on my main floor because my kids are around and I'll be distracted. I can't play at night because they're sleeping - so I kind of wanted an acoustic piano in my studio... Of course, from what I hear, the CP-70 is very big. It seems like it's about the same size as my rhodes, but deeper. I would probably have to part with my Rhodes to get the CP-70. I'm not sure what to do....

On another note, yesterday I started to realize that I'm embarrassing my daughter. I was dancing with my younger daughter, and my older daughter wanted nothing to do with it or me. It was a realization that those fun days making her laugh, dancing with her, playing with her, are coming to an end. It made me really sad.

Rhodes Electric Piano
Kawai SX-240
Fractal Audio FM3 pedal for FX (for both instruments)"

Kawai SX-240 soundscape V - Gone away

video upload by MIDERA

"Tonight, my daughter called for me after I put her to bed. It's unusual that she calls for me now as she's gotten older. I used to find it so irritating to get these calls, sometimes 3-4 times a night ("Papaaaaaaaaaa... uhm, I love you"). Now it seems to happen once every few months and is usually something more serious (at least to her), so I run up. She's sitting up in bed telling me about how she was terrified I had "gone away." I think she was just afraid I was going to die (of course, we all are going to some day), but it was hard to get that out of her. Usually the harder days are the days she has the most fun, I guess (maybe creating a lot of memories?). I know we're slowly descending into fewer and fewer days to be together, fewer chances to snuggle before bed, to tell 'Kwazii stories.'

I did tell her that some day I will die - and that I hope that day comes long before her time comes. That I won't be feeling anything when I'm gone, and that I would be happier if it were me and not her. That, of course, didn't really make her feel much better. Me staring at her boogery nose and making a face did. She started giggling, and I knew I had cracked the sadness, which faded, and we could say our good nights.

If you remember me saying the other day I had a financial problem - well, it was that I plugged the Kawai SX-240 back in to play it and it was dead. Nothing would happen. I was miserable, because I was planning to sell it and of course it would die before I could! Well, I managed to fix it. If you ever look up the service manual for this thing, it's horrible. I didn't realize how bad it was until I messaged Bob Grieb about his Tauntek eprom update (thinking maybe a bad eprom was the problem). He said it wasn't likely the problem, but sent me his version of the service manual and you can actually see the traces on it (the online version is so bad it didn't even pick up half the traces!). From there, I could see there was a bad solder joint between Pin 3 of the EPROM (I was right, something was wrong with the EPROM!) and Pin 2 of an adjacent IC. And - well, I brought it back to life. Another successful repair.

Kawai SX-240 and Fractal Audio FM3 for FX."

Unravel | Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 10, Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2 electronic music

video upload by MIDERA

"Got 5 hours of sleep last night. Had something frustrating happen (possible loss of $$$), not the worst thing in the world of course, just frustrating. After this track, I'll go back and see what else I can do with the Cirklon.

Moog Minimoog = bass
Sequential Prophet 12 = Main melody line
Sequential Prophet 10 = background chime sound
Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2 = sequencing and lead later in the track
Clavia Nord Drum 2 = drums
Native Instruments Raum = reverb"

The lies ahead | Moog Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 12, Prophet 10, Nord Drum 2 electronic

video upload by MIDERA

"I spent a part of the day rearranging my room... as I often do when I have the time. And when I was rearranging I realized just how little sense anything would make. I finally just set it up to explore 'How does the Spectralis fare compared to the Cirklon with sequencing.' And - well, I still think I prefer the Spectralis. I just write stuff faster. That doesn't mean this track sounds better than my last one (Crashing down) [posted here], but it was just a little more organic for me to write and quicker. It's hard to explain, although I suppose it's easy to explain when I think about the 14 years I've spent with the Spectralis. Of course, it's not perfect, it doesn't easily assign MSB/LSB for program changes (you can use cc's but it's a little awkward) and it can't do polyphonic step sequencing (which is actually awkward to do on the Cirklon).

Anyway - here it is. And listening a day after writing it, it’s too repetitive. I don’t like it. But I’ll share it anyway.

Spectralis 2: Sequencing and piano
Minimoog: Bass
Sequential Prophet 10: lead
DSI Prophet 12: Bells
Clavia Nord Drum 2: Drums
Native Instruments Raum: reverb"

Crashing down | Moog Minimoog, Sequentix Cirklon, Sequential Prophet 10, DSI Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2

video upload by MIDERA

"I was considering selling the Minimoog. Kept talking to friends about how I just didn't like it. I don't know why, I guess maybe it was like with the Prophet 10, where it's just a lot of money and it doesn't really seem to do anything that much better than what I already have. One of my friends said 'Well, have you tried sequencing it?' And no... I hadn't. I got the Minimoog when one of my cats died, then I rehomed my dog, and then my mom died. The whole next year (2024) I spent scanning photos in of my parent's. Only now have I started to get back into things. Well, I decided to try it out and wow, I really enjoyed it - the Minimoog sounds pretty amazing. So this is my first track with it sequenced.

I'm also working on trying to get more proficient with the Cirklon, and I've gotten a little hold on using it.

Parts:
Moog Minimoog: Bass
DSI Prophet 12: Bells
Sequential Prophet 10: Pads
Clavia Nord Drum 2: Drums
Sequentix Cirklon: Sequencing
Native Instruments Raum: Reverb"

Embrace of nothing | Sequential Prophet 10, Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2, and Toraiz Squid downtempo

video upload by MIDERA

"I finally scanned in over 7700 photos of my parents and their lives. It was so nice to see them again, happy, exploring. Somewhere in there it all changed, but they still looked and seemed happy. So many times I'd see a photo and just stare at it for a few minutes, as though I'd been hit by something. Like seeing them arrive at their first motel on their honeymoon. Or seeing photos from the 70s and then the 00s when they went to the same cabin. It was clearly a world that just hung so close to me, but I never saw it. By the time I could get to know them in this capacity - they were both gone.

Now that I have my studio back - I can finally start writing music again. I pulled out the Cirklon. As you can see, I didn't use the Cirklon here. My goodness that thing just antagonizes me at every turn. I know I need to give it more time, but after two days using it, I put it away and within an hour, I had something I was enjoying making and playing.

Toraiz Squid: Sequencing
Prophet 12: Bells
Prophet 10: Pads
Nord Drum 2: Drums"

The new sorrow | A Rhodes and Minimoog somber track

video upload by MIDERA

"Too many things to describe. Too many things pointing to a future of horrors.

Rhodes Electric Piano with Fractal Audio FM3 + looping
Moog Minimoog with Strymon El Cap
Native Instruments Raum for reverb
KDEnlive for video editing
Reaper DAW for audio editing
Moved over to Linux"

Tranquility | A Sequential Prophet VS ambient soundscape

video upload by MIDERA

"Another year is gone. 2024 was a pretty good year. I had probably the best birthday with my family I could've asked for. Some of my health concerns have resolved. We adopted two new cats (they're terrors and nothing like the ones I lost in 2023).

I feel there's a lot of uncertainty in my life that was troublesome for 2024 and will go on into 2025 (isn't that true of everyone though?). Things were not perfect, and are not perfect - but I don't think they ever could be. And even if they were - like on my birthday - it doesn't last.

Anyway - here's to a good year. And hopefully to a better year for everyone.

And yes... you can see in the video that I close my eyes. I am tired. I think I fell asleep a few times while playing. Hopefully the music turned out alright.

Gear used:
Sequential Prophet VS #prophetvs
Strymon Volante #strymon
Eventide Blackhole VST #eventide"

The living moment | MIDERA

video upload by MIDERA

"It's my birthday. I guess it is a happy day, as I'm here now. I kept my youngest from daycare so we could spend the day together, the whole family. Funny how when I was a kid, I'd get sick to my stomach I was so excited to open presents. Now I get sick to my stomach if I have to talk in front of groups of people. I guess that was a fun transition of excitement.

But here I am, getting to be with my family. Although it's hard not to recognize that the one that brought me here is no longer able to celebrate it with me. My mom didn't get to be with me during my last birthday either. I remember I had planned to visit her last year, but obviously everything happened and she ended up not making it to that point. So odd to think that she would give birth to me and 39.9 years later it would be over.

Well - I am still here - and I am with my kids hoping to give them what my parents gave me - a good upbringing. I suppose it's the only way to truly honor them. Yesterday, I took my kids sledding and we had a great time, until I fell and hurt my wrist. Can't wait for that to come back to haunt me, since everything hurts now.

This is probably also the first video to showcase my bald head. Another gift of aging. I think I have a few videos from 10+ years ago where I look younger and had hair. But again, aging means I'm still here and living in whatever moment is here. To be honest, shaving my head has been pretty liberating. I like not having to think about hair, worrying about whether I'm losing it, dealing with hat hair, all that crap.

Anyway, I'm hoping for a better year traveling around the sun. I hope you all experience the same.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2 - Drums, piano, strings, sequencing #spectralis
Access Virus TI - pads, drum FX #accessvirus
Eventide Blackhole VST #eventide"

Caverns of snow | MIDERA

video upload by MIDERA

"Yesterday we had a winter storm. The snow was really pretty to see. Last year I don't think it snowed much at all, which wasn't normal for Minnesota. What is normal anymore? Well, I was going to pick up my daughter from school and bring her home in the sled, but I wasn't sure she'd get out in her snow pants, so I didn't do that. But then I took her (in the sled) to pick up her little sister. It wasn't still snowing, but they loved the sled ride. When we were home, we played out in the backyard with all the snow. It was peaceful. My youngest just waltzed around saying what a big helper she was. My oldest was just doing her own thing. I built them a big fort using a 55 gallon rubbermaid bin (filled it with snow, packed it, slipped it upside down, and pulled it up).

It's funny how I don't always want to be doing these things. I'm tired or hungry, or in a bad mood from work, but those kids were giggling so much, especially when we had a snowball fight (I would take the shovel and throw snow in the air as my attack). I'd say it was worth it. A good day is always the days I think I did something my girls might remember some day.

As for this song: This was the second track I played at a show two weeks ago. I think it's really fitting with the snow day I had with my kids - when I wrote it, I felt like it was a good fit for a winter-landscape.

I don't know if I'll get much done musically between my birthday and the holidays - but if I don't post anything else. Have a good holiday season.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2: Drums, bass, piano, sequencing. #spectralis
Access Virus TI: Pads, drum processing #accessvirus
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb #eventide"

Access Virus KB 61-Key Digital Synthesizer

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

via this listing

"The Virus KB is one of my all time favorite synth. In many ways, I enjoy the sound of the KB/B better than the C & TI series that followed (watch the linked video from MIDERA for a comparison between the two)." [previously posted here]

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Sequential Prophet VS soundscape | Another world

video upload by MIDERA

"I'm fighting the urge to sell this thing. I haven't yet figured out what is so great about it. Good filter (but the Prophet 10 has what sounds like the same thing). Cool ability to mix oscillators. That - that feels like it. I'm not sure I understand the appeal still. It might be on its way out. Maybe it's the mix of some pristine sounding oscillators (sort of DX7/JD800 style) with the analog filter that makes it so popular? I just don't know.

Strymon Volante for delay
Valhalla Supermassive for reverb
Sequential Prophet VS for sound"

Sequential Prophet VS Soundscape - Where moments collide

video upload by MIDERA

"First – a friend sent me a listing for a Prophet VS. I didn’t think I’d get it but I reached out and offered a trade. They were interested in my Prophet 12, but ultimately I wasn’t sure I wanted to part ways with that, so instead I paid with cash… But that meant selling a lot of other gear – gear that no one was buying.

But then out of the blue someone wanted my DW-8000. Then the next day someone wanted my JX-3P. Then the next day I sold my JD-800. And there I had the funds. I bought the synth and came home and played it.

It’s a fascinating synth, but it is quite confusing for me right now. I understand it, but I don’t know how to make it sing. Personally – I think maybe I’m wondering what this really does that I can’t get from the ESQ1, which feels sacrilegious to say… That said, I don’t feel like the internet really shows that much interest in these. Maybe that’s partly because when you search “Prophet VS” google thinks you’re referring to ‘versus’ instead of ‘vector synth’. But either way, it’s pretty quiet out there on these.

Second – you may notice that this is somewhat of a duet. A few weeks ago my wife’s mom brought us a stray she picked up. She had, the day before, brought in a different cat that was very pregnant (and a few days later, had the kittens), so she asked if we would rehome this cat for her. Well – unfortunately the second the cat was in my house I knew it was going to stay. This little girl is so friendly. So, I guess she played along with me for a bit. But then she got obnoxious and had to leave the session. Some of her notes were wrong. I apologize for that.

Third – If you remember from two months ago, I had stated how I had some concerns after going to the doctor – well, thankfully things turned out way better than I had thought when I went back in a few days ago. That was a huge relief. It was something that had been bothering me since I visited my mom right before she passed away. I remember being with her thinking “I can’t tell her about this because I don’t want one of the last things she thinks about me to be worry over my health.” So I kept it quiet. Of course, all of this just makes me think of her, and well, you know the rest.

Fourth and finally – Today I am doing something new. I have recorded, edited, and rendered this entire track within Linux. I have spent the last 2 weeks trying to push myself away from Windows (my computer should be able to run Win 11, but Microsoft decided to not let me install it). This was something I wanted to try out for some time, and here I’ve done it. I used Reaper (which I love, and paid for quite a long time ago) and a free video editor called Kdenlive (which was surprisingly awesome by the way). I used to use Davinci Resolve which is also very nice, and they have a free version – but I want to try to get away from paid software (Reaper, I’ll make an exception). I actually also decided to swap out Eventide Blackhole VST for Valhalla Supermassive (free). Wow that reverb sounds great and as a benefit, doesn’t use iLok which was always really annoying. Although I got Eventide Blackhole for $30, so it wasn’t expensive, it’s nice to try something that is truly free.

Well – yeah, it’s been 2 months since I last posted anything, I think. Everything has just been going by really fast. I’m sure everyone else feels the same way.

Sequential Prophet VS
Valhalla Supermassive VST for reverb"

Radikal Technologies Accelerator soundscape III - The electric clouds

video upload by MIDERA

"This is my last pre-recorded soundscape... I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully I can make some more of these over time."

Roland TB-303 and TR-606 | Short demo tracks that should not be heard

video upload by MIDERA

"So, these are not mine - I purchased them for a friend (with their own money) and will ship these out to them when I can. They let me hang onto them for a while to play them. And I did. And obviously, you will hear that I am not good with them. Anyone who can make awesome music with just these two instruments must be very good. I just didn't do them justice, and I intend to never do them justice because I just don't have the kind of time needed to do it properly. So thankfully I get to ship them out.

You probably shouldn't really listen... I don't think I'll come back to these little patterns ever again. And yes - I wrote them myself, which isn't saying much.

Roland TB-303 and TR-606. Eventide Blackhole VST for a little reverb"

Kawai SX-240 soundscape IV - Grey skies of summer's end

video upload by MIDERA

"The grey skies in mid August, with the cacophony of crickets in the morning... I really enjoy that. Even though it kind of represents the beginning of the end of summer. I love those days with the light mist.

On Monday, my second child turns 3. We will be having a Tea Party tomorrow to celebrate. When we celebrated our first child's 3rd birthday, it was during Covid and we just brought out a bunch of stuffed animals to be her friends for the party.

Sometimes I wish time would stand still so I could really enjoy my kids as they are... but then I also know I couldn't watch them grow up (or experience anything new), so it's a Catch-22. Also, I really can't stop time, so I don't even have the option.

Strymon Volante for delay #strymon
Boss MD-500 for vibrato
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb #eventide
#kawai"

Kawai SX-240 soundscape II - When all we do destroys us

video upload by MIDERA

"Well... my friend offered me his SX-240, the one I repaired. I guess I couldn't say no to that. I bought it. I'm not 100% sure I'll keep it - just with everything I have, there's so much stuff and I'm realizing I just don't get around to all of it, but it's nice to take it for a spin. So here I go.

Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb.

Recorded June 30th, 2024."

Mutable Instruments Ambika soundscape - Mars awaits

video upload by MIDERA

"I have played many hybrid synthesizers. Prophet 12, 3rd wave, DW-8000, ESQ-1, Poly Evolver, Pro-2, maybe others? And I always come to this conclusion. The Ambika sticks out as my favorite. At least, in terms of sound. In terms of UI, P12 wins. In terms of build quality, Poly Evolver wins (minus the encoder issues). DW-8000 does indeed have the most interesting filter IMO. They're all fun, very different... but the Ambika just has the best envelopes, great filters, awesome modulation capacity - and I'm always left feeling like this is an amazing synthesizer.

Boss MD500 to Strymon Volante to Eventide Blackhole VST"

Roland System 8 Jupiter 4 plugout soundscape - Waking into nothing

video upload by MIDERA

"I finally got around to recording something with the System 8 Jupiter-4 plug out. I'm quite torn to be honest, in what to keep in this machine. I think the Jupiter 4 plug out is a little more interesting than the Juno 60 plug out, but I like them both. I don't want to give up either the Jupiter 8 or JX-3P (although I own an actual JX-3P that I am trying to sell).

The Jupiter 4 has a more interesting sound to it in my opinion. Plus I love the random ARP it has. The Ensemble effect is way too noisy. I realize that's 'how it was' but they fixed this in the Juno plug out to tone the noise levels down if you wanted. Here you have no choice. Also, you can't adjust the volume of all the different oscillators on the Jupiter 4, which isn't ideal.

Anyway, it's a good sounding engine and I'm thinking this is the one to keep in there (despite enjoying the Juno 60 plugout as well).

Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb"