PPG wave 2.2 Wavetable Synthesizer (1982) RetroSound Soundscapes II - sound demo

RetroSound

"(c)2007-20 by RetroSound
supported by UVI: http://bit.ly/retrosound-uvi

PPG wave 2.2 Synthesizer from the year 1982

The PPG Wave 2.2 is the direct successor of the Wave 2 but with 2 oscillators. Only 500 Wave 2.2 were manufactured.

The sound character is different to the later Waldorf Microwave synths and different to the Wave 2.3.

- 8 Voices
- 2 to 16 Oscillators per voice
- 30 Wavetables with 64 waves per table
- analog 24 dB/oct lowpass SSM 2044 VCF
- Curtis CEM 3360 VCAs
- micro processor (6809)
- 8Bit DACs

Used by: Trevor Horn (Propaganda, Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones), Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Robert Palmer, Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Thomas Dolby, The Fixx, Thompson Twins, Tangerine Dream, Gary Numan and much more


RetroSound synthesizer demo videos since january 2007.
All is for free. If you like my work, so can you support me with a donation or a purchase of my music albums. Thank you!

Donations: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr..."

Oxford Synthesizer Company OSCar

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

via this auction

"This iconic and rarely available synth has been with the same owner and seldom used for the past 20 years. It's sound is featured on recordings from Stevie Wonder, Ultravox, Sneaker Pimps, Jean-Michel Jarre and the bass line for 'Do They Know it's Christmas'.

Driven by 2 DCOs (sawtooth, triangle, square, variable and 5 preset waveforms) this monosynth can be duophonic when using just one oscillator per voice. The additive-synthesis function give you the ability to create your on waveforms by mixing the amplitudes of the 24 harmonics using the keyboard. 24 custom waves can be stored and used with either oscilator.

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E-mu Emulator II - Shining Moments (see description)

Published on Apr 17, 2017 Adrian Star Official

In '84-'86, it cost more than an average new car in the U.S.
* Intro - 0:00-0:08.
* Ferris Bueller - 0:08-0:38.
* Depeche Mode - 0:44-2:48.
* Paul McCartney/Chevy Chase - 2:49-3:00.
* Tears For Fears - 3:01-3:11.
* Pet Shop Boys - 3:12-4:35.
* New Order - 4:35-4:59.
* Mr. Mister - 5:00-5:22.
* Front 242 - 5:22-5:53.
* OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) - 5:54-6:06.
* Laura Branigan - 6:07-6:14.
* Michael Cretu - 6:15-6:52.
* Ultravox/Midge Ure - 6:53-7:27.
* Adrian Star - 7:28-8:51.
* Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode (Demonstration) - 8:51-9:56.
* People Are People Drums - 9:56-End.

PPG's Wolfgang Palm to Retire - Brainworx Audio GmbH to Take Over Product Line

via http://www.wolfgangpalm.com

Important announcement

Dear Customer,

after 50 years of creative work in the field of sound synthesis I decided to stop doing business. I've been thinking about this step for some time now, especially since I've turned 70 this year. Therefore, I am very happy to have found a competent company in Brainworx Audio GmbH that will take over and continue my products and ideas.

I would like to thank you for the support I've received over the last six years. PPG VST plug-ins and iOS apps are no longer available for purchase. We will continue to provide downloads of your previous plugin purchases until end of 2020.

However, we do not recommend updating the hosts or the operating systems, as we cannot guarantee that our products will still run perfectly.

Customers of PPG plugins will receive a mail from SendOwl, which gives more infos on how to connect to Brainworx.

The future of the iOS apps has not been decided yet.

Thank you again for your support.
March 2020, Wolfgang Palm"

Update: and the official press release:

"Plugin Alliance announces acquisition of Wolfgang Palm’s prestigious PPG synthesizer brand by Brainworx Audio


“I am very glad to have found Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, who appreciate my work from the past and want to continue my legacy.”
- Wolfgang Palm, originator of wavetable synthesis and founder/owner of PPG, 2020


SANTA CRUZ, CA, USA: Plugin Alliance, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best- known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce founding partner Brainworx Audio’s acquisition of the assets of Wolfgang Palm’s prestigious PPG synthesizer brand. The trailblazing Hamburg-based company founded by Wolfgang Palm first found fame and fortune in its initial incarnation throughout the Eighties and beyond by bringing the distinctive sound of wavetable synthesis to the musical masses and also impacting the MI industry with its innovative PPG Wave hybrid digital/ analogue synthesizer series and associated advances. These included the unique (unreleased) Realizer — quite possibly the world’s first virtual instrument (in 1986), albeit as a proprietary hardware hybrid! Software seriously came calling from 2012 onwards when Wolfgang Palm returned to prominence, producing new PPG products.

What a legacy. PPG synthesizers have musically made their mark onstage and in the studio with an array of notable artists such as a-Ha, Alphaville, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Thomas Dolby, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike & The Mechanics, Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys, Rush, Talk Talk, Tangerine Dream, Tears For Fears, Ultravox, Stevie Wonder, and many more. Thanks to Brainworx Audio’s acquisition of the assets of Wolfgang Palm’s prestigious PPG synthesizer brand, that legacy is all set to thrive.

Plans are already afoot by Brainworx Audio to update Wolfgang Palm’s PPG products in close collaboration with the man himself, universally recognized as the originator of wavetable synthesis! Together they will take the PPG brand and advance its digital products into the future, following Wolfgang Palm’s planned retirement at the end of March 2020 — after 50 years in the creative field of sound synthesis! Signing an agreement with Plugin Alliance and Brainworx Audio owner Dirk Ulrich ultimately lets Wolfgang Palm put his (well- deserved) retirement plan into action, happy in the knowledge that his ‘baby’ will be in good hands.

Wolfgang Palm puts it this way: “I am very glad to have found Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, who appreciate my work from the past and want to continue my legacy. They have a great team of competent developers, product specialists, marketing, and all that is needed to make a company successful. I support their work to make the transition as smooth as possible, and it will be exciting to see how this evolves. Also, I think that this collaboration will result in a much wider audience than before.”

Indeed, it is a great honor for Brainworx Audio to be joining forces with Wolfgang Palm — truly a legend in his own right, and continue to break boundaries in the world of virtual instruments. “We are proud that Wolfgang Palm put his brand and product into our hands,” declares Dirk Ulrich, ending on a high note: “We will make sure to carry on his legacy with the respect it deserves and we are looking forward to evolving the brand and products for years to come.”


For more in-depth information about the trailblazing work of Wolfgang Palm and the prestigious PPG’s past, present, and future, feel free to check out Plugin Alliance’s interview with the man himself here."

impOSCar Programmable Music Synthesizer VST w/ Original Box

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

via this auction

"impOSCar Programmable Music Synthesizer VST GForce PC Mac software

The original OSCar synth was used by artists such as Vince Clarke (Yaz, Erasure), Ultravox, and Stevie Wonder, to name but a few. This software version gives you access to those same vintage tones at a fraction of the price!"

Just be sure it's compatible with your OS/system.

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Rare Synare 3 Drum Synth Clone by Ladik.eu

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

via this auction

"Rare Synare 3 'UFO' Drum Synth Clone by Ladik.eu in lurid kelly green, a faithful recreation with super solid construction made in the Czech Republic. As used by Joy Division on She's Lost Control and Ultravox on Vienna, also commonly used in dub soundsystems.

Two tunable oscillators and a lowpass filter, capable of self resonance, one oscillator switchable to be a noise generator, one oscillator can be set to modulate the filter frequency for wild metallic FM sounds with high resonance settings. Can be triggered by hitting the pad with a drumstick or sending a trigger sound, with velocity (just send quieter or louder clicks), into the trigger input for more precise timing.

The foam drum pad is slightly dinged in places but everything works as new. Have fitted three foam feet to the base for more stable tabletop use."

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50-year-old Rhythm Machine with Midi! & Joe Jackson's - Steppin' Out

Published on Dec 20, 2019

"My Roland TR-77 / Rhythm -77 is just back from surgery after it had a Unipulse midi kit installed.

Here's Tubbutec's page on it: https://tubbutec.de/unipulse/

Here's the other videos I mentioned:

Sampling the TR-77: [below]

Processing with the Maxon RM-60: [posted here]

Thanks for watching!"

Sampling Vintage Rhythm Machines [INCLUDES FREE SAMPLES]

Published on Sep 12, 2019 Alex Ball

"I love the sound of old analogue rhythm machines, but I always wanted to be able to program them like my drum machines. Without the knowledge or skill to modify them, I thought that maybe multi-sampling them would give me what I was after.

I’m over the moon with the results and I think that the Kontakt multi versions sound awesome. Hopefully you’ll have fun with them too!

Download: http://bit.ly/RhythmMachines

Bit of background: Although the earlier rhythm machines were intended to accompany lone musicians (mainly organists) and were controlled with start/stop footswitches, they do crop up in a few records.

The “Cha-Cha” preset from the TR-77 appears in Ultravox’s “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and it’s apparently the (rather processed) rhythm machine heard at the start of Squeeze’s “Take me I’m yours”. The seemingly popular “Cha-Cha” also appears at the start of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” albeit at a different pitch (perhaps done with tape speed).

The earlier version of the Rhythm 55B (the Rhythm 55) was also the very unit used by Joe Jackson on “Steppin’ Out”. In fact, he’s recently been bringing it out on tour with him: [below]

The Korg is a bit of a hanger on being released in 1982 given that 808s, LinnDrums and DMXs were out by then. The Roland CR-5000 and CR-8000 also snuck into the 80s, but they were really at the end of this kind of instrument that had its heyday in the late 60s and 70s.

Instruments used in this video:
Roland Rhythm 77 / TR-77 (1972)
Korg Rhythm 55B / KR-55B (1982)
Roland SH-1000 (1973)
Korg MS-20 (1978)
ARP Odyssey model 2813 (1975)
Roland Juno-6 (1982)"

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (Studio version, Joe explains the song) - Live in Italy 2019

Published on Mar 20, 2019

Studio version, with the original drum machine!
Four Decade Tour
Rome, 19 March 2019
Auditorium Conciliazione

Yamaha SS-30 String Synthesiser

Published on Dec 2, 2019 JMPSynth

"Quick demo of the Yamaha SS-30 String Synthesiser, one of two stringers favoured by Ultravox in the 1980's due to its lush sound.

Please forgive the picture quality from phone, the audio has been over-dubbed which is the important thing."

Turning Rhythm Machines into Drum Machines [INCLUDES FREE SAMPLES]

Published on Sep 12, 2019 Alex Ball

"I love the sound of old analogue rhythm machines, but I always wanted to be able to program them like my drum machines. Without the knowledge or skill to modify them, I thought that maybe multi-sampling them would give me what I was after.

I’m over the moon with the results and I think that the Kontakt multi versions sound awesome. Hopefully you’ll have fun with them too!

Download: http://bit.ly/RhythmMachines

Bit of background: Although the earlier rhythm machines were intended to accompany lone musicians (mainly organists) and were controlled with start/stop footswitches, they do crop up in a few records.

The 'Cha-Cha' preset from the TR-77 appears in Ultravox’s “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and it’s apparently the (rather processed) rhythm machine heard at the start of Squeeze’s “Take me I’m yours”. The seemingly popular “Cha-Cha” also appears at the start of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” albeit at a different pitch (perhaps done with tape speed).

The earlier version of the Rhythm 55B (the Rhythm 55) was also the very unit used by Joe Jackson on “Steppin’ Out”. In fact, he’s recently been bringing it out on tour with him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEYA...

The Korg is a bit of a hanger on being released in 1982 given that 808s, LinnDrums and DMXs were out by then. The Roland CR-5000 and CR-8000 also snuck into the 80s, but they were really at the end of this kind of instrument that had its heyday in the late 60s and 70s.

Instruments used in this video:
Roland Rhythm 77 / TR-77 (1972)
Korg Rhythm 55B / KR-55B (1982)
Roland SH-1000 (1973)
Korg MS-20 (1978)
ARP Odyssey model 2813 (1975)
Roland Juno-6 (1982)"

A Melodic Melodious Melody on a Modular

Published on Apr 9, 2019 isvisible isinvisible

Featuring:
Erica Synths: Drum Sequencer
Endorphin.es: Blck_Noir
Frap Tools: Fumana
Livewire: AFG
Mutable Instrument: Elements

Plus lots more.

----

This one reminded me of a modern take on an Ultravox instrumental. Not this Ultravox!.

Eurythmics Sweet Dreams tutorial for the UNO synth

Published on Mar 3, 2019 Starsky Carr
Update: Re-Published on Mar 15, 2019.

"A quick look at recreating the famous riff and leads from one of the all time synth pop classic by the Eurythmics.

Easily created on the IK Multimedia UNO monosynth in a couple of minutes. It's so close there's a copyright dispute on the recording
!! I guess I should take that as a compliment.

Here's link to the patches
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kvgjzbfjzzq...

..and here's the documentary I mention:"

Synth Britannia

Published on Mar 16, 2012 clr

"Documentary following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage.

In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists including the Human League, Daniel Miller and Cabaret Volatire were inspired by Kraftwerk and JG Ballard and dreamt of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain.

The crossover moment came in 1979 when Gary Numan's appearance on Top of the Pops with Tubeway Army's Are Friends Electric heralded the arrival of synthpop. Four lads from Basildon known as Depeche Mode would come to own the new sound whilst post-punk bands like Ultravox, Soft Cell, OMD and Yazoo took the synth out of the pages of the NME and onto the front page of Smash Hits.

By 1983, acts like Pet Shop Boys and New Order were showing that the future of electronic music would lie in dance music.

Contributors include Philip Oakey, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Bernard Sumner, Gary Numan and Neil Tennant."

PPG wave 2.2 Wavetable Synthesizer (1982) Elektroplankton

Published on Nov 29, 2018 RetroSound

"(c) 2018 vintage synthesizer demo by RetroSound

all sounds: PPG wave 2.2 Synthesizer from the year 1982

The PPG Wave 2.2 is the direct successor of the Wave 2 but with 2 oscillators. Only 500 Wave 2.2 were manufactured.

- 8 Voices
- 2 to 16 Oscillators per voice
- 30 Wavetables with 64 waves per table
- analog 24 dB/oct lowpass SSM 2044 VCF
- Curtis CEM 3360 VCAs
- micro processor (6809)
- 8Bit DACs

Used by: Trevor Horn (Propaganda, Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones), Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Robert Palmer, Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Thomas Dolby, The Fixx, Thompson Twins, Tangerine Dream, Gary Numan and much more"

Casio SK-1 - Is a full production possible with only this?

Published on Nov 23, 2018 Espen Kraft

Completed track starts at 3:50

"Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard from 1985. Is it just a retro toy these days? Is it possible to make a full production using only sounds and samples from the SK-1?

https://soundcloud.com/espenkraft

I think it is and I've sampled a couple of sounds from the Roland Alpha Juno 2 into it, multi tracked it in the computer. I've also slowed down a couple of the internal rhythm tracks and recorded those into the DAW and from there chopped these up and created a new drum track.
Vocals recorded and voila! A brand new track. "The Weekend".
Every sound is off the SK-1, vocals added, mixed and mastered.

I use DistroKid for all my releases onto streaming services.
Try out Distrokid yourself and get a 7% discount off your first year by using this link:
http://distrokid.com/vip/espenkraft

Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own tracks takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!

Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Euryhmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha and many more."

Back to 1986 - PSB & Jarre with old samplers and synths

Published on Sep 21, 2018 Espen Kraft

"This track is a mix of three favorite synthpop tracks. 'Paninaro' and 'Domino Dancing' by the Pet Shop Boys and 'Zoolookologie' by Jean Michel Jarre. It has the tempo of Paninaro and the vocal oohs inspired by Domino Dancing.
The signature 'voice' sample in my track is created by myself by sampling a friends voice on another track of mine and processing it heavily and sampling it back into the Emax.
Most of the sounds in this track is samplers and most, if not all the samples are my own work, including the thunder in the beginning and other effects.

The track is called "Americana" and in reality this was the nickname of a girl I once knew. Way back and back I was....

https://open.spotify.com/album/2fsq51...
https://soundcloud.com/espenkraft

Btw, this track has been 15 years in the making.

I use DistroKid for all my releases onto streaming services.
Try out Distrokid yourself and get a 7% discount off your first year by using this link:
http://distrokid.com/vip/espenkraft

Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own tracks takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!

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Kawai Synthesizer 100 P

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

via this auction

"The Kawai s100p is a rare analog monosynth built in 1979 in the wake of, and apparently based on, the famous Arp Pro-Soloist.

There is some evidence to suggest that the keyboard aftertouch found in the Kawai was licensed for use by the Arp corporation from the Pro-Soloist.

The Kawai is a very expressive synthesizer with some powerful preset sounds on board. These sounds can be modulated and affected by several touch sensitive effects such as vibrato, brilliance/wow (filter), Bend up/bend down and Growl (adds grit).

Other effects include a hold and sustain switch, portamento AND glissando, note repeat function, an analog flanger and best of all an on board spring reverb.

Yes, this is a preset synth; but with all the sound shaping functions on offer and the quality of the presets you can't fail to find mouth salivating analog goodness. The Tuba is earth shattering, the Shakuhachi beautiful and warm and when you apply the repeat, hold and flanger to the Wood Bass its instant Ultravox (think Dancing With Tears in my Eyes).

This unit is in very good cosmetic condition with just some wear along the edges of the wooden end pieces. All voices work and sound splendidly analog and raw. All keys are connecting nicely for aftertouch and apart from one missing switch cap everything is as one could wish it to be from a nearly forty year old instrument.

Grab yourself a rare vintage preset synth from 1979 in very nice condition and make me wish I hadn't sold it."

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Italo Disco done the old school way in 2018

Published on Jun 8, 2018 Espen Kraft

"Italo Disco made the old school way in 2018. Using a plethoria of 80s samplers, synths and drum machines it's possible to make that kind of raw unpolished sound that infused the synth-pop scene back in the early to mid 80s where the term Italo Disco wasn't used, but the octave bass sounded different from much else of the synth-pop.
I've taken inspiration from all the great artists/producers of the time and used some of the same gear.

Thanks to Caroline Johansen for additional vocals, you're a great sport!

Track available on all streaming media:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3dIJbQ...
https://soundcloud.com/espenkraft

The chords and sections that make up the track is explained in detail after the performance of the track so don't turn it off too soon!

The performance is held together by Roland MC50 sequencer that plays the Emax II Liquid Stack guitars while I play other parts. Half of the track is me playing the Emax live.
Bass is off the Roland S-10 sampler played live as is the Korg DW-8000s fairlight pad/strings.
The Yamaha TX802 is also played live over MIDI on the MiniNova.
Additional pads/strings and Fairlight flute is from the Roland Juno 2 and the Yamaha DX7, sequenced.
The simple but effective drums comes off the Akai S1000.

Strymon BlueSky and TC flashback handles reverb and delays.

Everything is going into a couple of Yamaha 01W digital mixers (a Behringer analog mixer does some of the synths) and piped optically into the Audient ID14 soundcard and into the DAW for recording.

Listen to more of my music on: http://www.espenkraft.com
My tracks pay homage to all synth-pop acts of the 80'ies like Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, OMD, Euryhmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha and many more."

ELKA OMB 5 Review - Italo Disco from hell! Or heaven?

Published on May 11, 2018 Espen Kraft

"Elka OMB 5 - One Man Band. Released somewhere in the mid to late 80s and is somewhat of an enigma to me in terms of usage.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dMWi...

It has the drums from the excellent Drumstar 80 drum machine, but without individual outs and only a balance fader between kick/snare and the hats, it falls kind of short in the "usable" category. The bass preset bank is ok and has some fine FM basses to chose from. The two synth preset banks is nothing to focus on and they should really be left out of the eqation. There are no analog sounds here, it's all digital.
Another sound that don't come through in the video is the fantastically annoying built-in fan that sounds like a defect car exhaust system. This makes the OMB 5 pretty useless in any studio situation unless you're fine with getting a permanently hearing damage.
However, if you find the right balance between the drums, program your own pattern, and play the bass part over an external sequencer you'll find that the OMB 5 has very nice low end and lots of "oompf" to get a solid Italo Disco going!
As you can sync the drums to external clock it's a breeze to integrate this machine into your setup and it's will hold it's own!

My tracks pay homage to all synth-pop acts of the 80'ies like Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, OMD, Euryhmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha and many more."

Abbey Road Institute: The Moog session - The synth that shaped musical history

Streamed live on Dec 1, 2017 Abbey Road Institute

"On the 1st of December we are featuring another historic instrument that shaped musical history: The MiniMoog!

How did it become such an icon?
What makes it so special?
And why does it sound so massive?!

We got you covered. Tune in on the 1st of December.

Shaping musical history:
The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of synthesizers in rock/pop music.
Jazz composer Sun Ra was the first to use a prototype of the Minimoog in his music and Keith Emerson (musician and composer) was the first musician touring with a Minimoog, demonstrating some amazing pitch-bending techniques for the first time with many keyboard players following his example afterwards. Just like the Hammond organ (as shown in our previous event) the Moog became a serious competitor to the electric guitar, making guitarist looking for eleven on their volume control as the only way to compete. Because of its fantastic and cosmic sound, it soon was embraced by the gods of the new progressive rock with bands like Yes and Emerson Lake & Palmer.

As keyboardist of Yes, Rick Wakeman said the instrument 'absolutely changed the face of music.'

Besides progressive rock, Jazz legends like Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock added the Minimoog to their arsenal, delivering devastating jazz solos and Bob Marley introduced the Minimoog when the band first played in the UK on the BBC.

After taking the progressive rock and jazz world by storm, it made its way back towards the synthesizer’s roots, in electronic pop and experimental music. One of the most well-know band using the Minimoog for this purpose was Kraftwerk on their albums Autobahn and The Man-Machine. Shortly after that, the characteristic sound of the Minimoog became an important part of the synth-pop era and inspired an entire generation of electronic musicians like Brian Eno and Ultravox.

Since then the Minimoog transformed the music landscape of every musical genre, from the R&B/Soul of Earth Wind & Fire and the most successful recorded album of all time, Thriller from Michael Jackson, till the West-Coast sound of Dr. Dré and the industrial music of Trent Reznor.

But a major transition occurred when electronic music was slightly forced back into the underground and analog synthesizer started shaping the sound of House Music, Techno and all other genres of electronic music. This is where the Minimoog found a new homebase in the hands of producers and bands like Carl Craig, 808-state, Portishead and many more leading to the iconic sound in today’s electronic music and the production of new Moog synthesizers and soundalikes.

The original Minimoog is a true classic. But what makes the sound so special?
On the 1st of December, MarcoAntonio Spaventi (music producers, mastering engineer, analog synth evangelist and Abbey Road Institute lecturer) will give a Masterclass about the Minimoog and it’s unique sound at Abbey Road Institute Amsterdam. In order to share his love for the Moog, this masterclass will be live streamed through Facebook Live.

MarcoAntonio will talk about the differences between the original Minimoog Model D and the Minimoog Voyager, the unique features of both instruments and the technical aspects that makes it sound so special. But most important, you can hear them live including a jam with an hardware sequencer at the end of the session!

Next to the above mentioned synths, we will have a variety of other Moogs to explore the different sounds and flavours of Robert Moog’s legacy. With one very special model…

The Memorymoog!
Many say the Memorymoog is like having 6 Minimoogs stacked in one machine! While thats not entirely true it does sound like no other poly synth with a very specific and massive character. Just like the Minimoog, the Memorymoog gets his monumental sound due to certain imperfections of the instrument. A perfect example of finding perfection in imperfection! MarcoAntonio will explain you all about the different features that makes this synth so unique."

Dave Smith Instruments In The Spotlight With the Prophet-6 and RJ Thompson

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

"RJ Thompson has built a name for himself in recent months as one of the UK’s strongest up-and-coming singer-songwriters. His poignant lyrics and deeply-felt songs are set against a colourful (and at times nostalgic) soundscape that goes far beyond modern-day singer-songwriter stereotypes.

RJ’s hard-won success has come through consistence and persistence, having played innumerable grass-roots music venues, pubs, and clubs in his native Northeast England. His breakthrough came when a sound engineer for Live Aid organiser and Ultravox frontman Midge Ure was working at one of RJ’s open mic performances. The engineer liked what he heard and recommended RJ as a support act, leading to more than 30 shows touring the UK and Europe. Support shows with Gabrielle Aplin, Deacon Blue and Jools Holland (including a performance at the Royal Albert Hall) soon followed, as well as several EPs and a live album.

We chatted with RJ about how he’s using the Prophet-6."

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

Midnight Drive 2 | Roland JX-8P Juno 6 Emax Akai S1000 Korg DW8000

Published on Feb 8, 2018 Espen Kraft

http://www.espenkraft.com

"A sequel/follow-up to my popular track Midnight Drive.

I wanted to make the sequel a little faster and add a little more "oompf" to the bottom end. Without being TOO modern of course... can't have that! :P

The bass is the Juno 6 (sampled into the Roland S-10 sampler for sequencer playback) and all pads/strings is off the 8P

Piano is the Emax and the drums are the Akai S1000. Arpeggio ++ KOrg DW-8000. Some additional drums from Yamaha RX11 and Roland TR-626.
Novation MiniNova plays some hits as well.

There's even some Nord Lead A1 in there although you don't see it in the video.
The Nord Lead A1 provides all wind/noise effects.

Reverbs are Strymons Bluesky. Delay is TC Flashback.

The patches for the JX-8P/PG-8X can be downloaded here:
https://thepatchbay.co.uk/products/?d...

The track is conceived on the Roland MC50 sequencer, my old school MIDI setup, but ultimately multitracked in my DAW for better control at the mixing stage.

My tracks pay homage to all synth-pop acts of the 80'ies like Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, OMD, Euryhmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha and many more.

A use mostly old gear in my music and among them Roland Juno 6, Alpha Juno 2, D550 and JX-8P.
Korg DW-8000, Elka EK22, Yamaha DX7 and TX802 and drum machines Yamaha RX11 and Roland TR-626.

Effects are usually handled by Strymon and TC electronics.

Sampling is done on my E-MU ESI-4000, Akai S1000, Roland S-10, Emax 1, 2, Yamaha A3000."