Roland SP-808ex Synth Engine Demo/Overview Video

This is an overview of the SP-808ex synth fx engine where I play a few patches and talk about the synthesizer editing capabilities. I think the synth engine itself sounds very good and can add a special touch to your mix even when its only monosynth. When you are using the synth engine, make sure you have your midi controller set to ch. 11 and that effects are turned on. If the patch uses the d-beam, then turn on the appropriate button near the d-beam. Press FX INFO or Shift-FX Info to get into the editing features, and use the appropriate knobs for live tweaking.

The SP-808ex has something for everybody. Check out my tutorial on using its vocoder.

SP-808 Vocoder Tutorial

This machine is not always immediate without a manual, but you can get good results. The Vocoder is one of those things that you need to know how to set up. Make sure you don’t have anything connected to input “L” !!! Unplug it (unless your using an externally preamped MIC)

This is not a demonstration of its capabilities, just a tutorial.

Video: 52 Reason Tricks by James Bernard

52 Reason and Record Tips by James Bernard Week 1 from James Bernard on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/9558969

Vintage Sample Archives

Instead of new samples of vintage gear, how about some OLD samples all created and archived before 2001, when this decade went to crap. Some of these directories haven’t been changed since 1995!!!!! It is a miracle they are still available! I imagine files sitting on some old hard drive, in the dark, probably covered with dust, still running. The are owners mummified in the next room and utility companies to big to bother to cut the power. Oh well, free samples!

Netboy “W30″

http://gamelay.usami.com/~netboy/w30/samples/

Obviously a guy, maybe japanese who used a W30. Last modified March 2000. Contains samples created in 1997 etc. Lots of roland, drum machines, and old breakbeats.

Mirror of “Hornet”

http://www.club.cc.cmu.edu/pub/scene.org/mirrors/hornet/music/samples/

Descriptions of these sample packs available on this website which must be the original location (with non-working links).

Internet Trash

Internettrash “sample direct” Probably another mirror with some of same packs and description.

Some of the samples are in .XI format which are capable of being opened in Fast Tracker 2 and Milky Tracker. To open .XI wavs in OS X, Use Milky Tracker load the sample, hit 16 bit, then “NO” when it asks you to convert.

Simple Drum Programming Tips: Samples

This tip will make your drums sound more dynamic and natural will work in software, sampler, or korg/roland grooveboxes.

1. To make single drum samples sound more natural make a random +8 depth pitch mod. Set to random oscillation. This attempts to make multiple hits less predictable.

2. Use accents in your step sequencer.

3. Route the bass and snare to a guitar distortion pedal. Use the EQ and gain to subtley tweak the sound. This works well if your drum sample rom is too clean.

4. Layer multiple snare samples. On accents both samples are triggered; Non-accents a single, main snare sample will suffice.

Pro Tip: Controlling Dubstep Bass

Ever had trouble manually matching LFO rate to the tempo to make dubstep bass? Have a keyboard that uses splits or combis? Try this tip for instant wobble gratification!

1. First use this tutorial and get your basic wobble bass patch ready. This will be the slow version or 4/4 filter sync

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZYDmw2pYOk

Come back when your ready.

2. Create a copy of the patch on the upper registers of your keyboard

3. Adjust the copy’s filter mod rate to 16th or 12th notes. This is the faster wobble sound.

4. Adjust the filter if necessary. Transpose down appropriately.

Now you can just hit a key on the upper registers to get the fast wobble or hook in your musical phrase. The filter is perfectly matched to the music, allowing you to experiment! Creating multiple copies of the same bass with slight modification creates interest for the listener.

Tips: Making out of date synth patches on new systems

Dreaming of owning a keyboard with a 6mb sample rom library? Thinking of selling your entire studio to get that new sound? Try these simple tips to get bigger synth sounds.

1. Use a double delay instead of reverb. Digital delays are the best. You can try one tight delay (30ms or so) and one long delay (250ms), then pan each to the left or right. This creates a larger sound space.

2. Filter the sample, or analog modeling synth with a Lo-Fi sample rate down-conversion (destructive). Change the bit rate to 12 or 8 bit. This would simulate old sample roms or digital synthesis.

3. Combine a choir (ahh) sample with a short percussive attack sample. Many pad patches have been created this way with various string type sounds or percussive strikes and plucks. Many keyboards based on rom libraries let you create a sound with two “oscillators” in the patch. Again use the tips above on something like this to make it sound bigger. This is the scariest tip.

4. Experiment with sample speeds, transposition zone, and formant. If you have a roland sampler with vari-synth or ableton you may be able to get low-fi type results on modern samples, as if you were to take a smaller section of the rom sample and stretch it to fit the keyboard. Sometimes its better to turn these new pitch correcting/stretching technologies OFF and let the samples run.

5. Use a stereo choir effect or guitar pedal

The old tricks are the best tricks.

Automator Action for Quick-Launching Rewire + DAW Setups

Each time you start a new song it can be a hassle to setup a complex DAW environment that includes Rewire, Internal and External Midi Instruments, and Audio. Using template songs and Mac OS X automator you can get to the full power of your computer in less than 30 seconds with one button click.

Download the Files (Includes Automator Action, Application, and Song Templates for Logic & Reason 4)

File Location: Home—>Audio—>StartupTemplates

If you decide to download the files you may have to customize them in automator and rebuild the script (thankfully Apple makes this easy). This would be required if you wanted to launch Ableton instead of Logic Pro along with Reason. You may want to customize the instrument selection to your liking in both the Reason and Logic templates. My custom setup of useful Reason and Logic instrument presets is provided. Once thats done, just put the automator app into your dock for a one button studio quicklaunch!

Once the script has run, Logic Audio and Reason are perfectly synced, with all your instruments ready to rock.

Guitar Hero Drums + Osculator Tutorial

A nice tutorial with photos & video to get your guitar hero drum set working with your computer.

http://www.vultrix.com/index.php/2009/12/04/guitar-hero-drums-as-a-real-drum-kit/

Inside the Yamaha QY100, Changing the Battery

This is explains how to change the factory internal battery in the Yamaha QY100 sequencer.

What you need:

CR 2032 Lithium ($2)

Philips head screwdriver

1. Unscrew every screw in the back. A gold colored screw is at the position shown.

2. Pull back the casing slowly to reveal the copper shield. Mind the wires in the bottom right.

3. Unscrew the two copper colored screws which hold the shield down. Open the shield forward, still connected.

4. Push the old battery further into the case from the front (left to right in the pic). Remove the battery. You can also gently use a small screwdriver to pry it loose. Replace with a fresh battery.

5. Carefully re-assemble. Power up. The screen should say “Factory Preset” on its first startup.

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