Separated | Roland JD-800 ambient soundscape improvisation MIDERA 2023-02-26 | Another round with the Roland JD-800 . Someone recommended that I try making a sound and copying it to the other 3 parts and using an LFO on the filter and adjusting the individual LFOs per part. That’s basically what this patch is. I’m not sure if this is growing on me yet or not. I think I have the basic navigation down and I’m liking it. Again, I compare it to the D50 and I feel it just doesn’t quite have the character or charm that the D50 has. And I must admit I really like the D50’s filter and FX section. I really love the Chorus in the D50 quite a bit. And why is the ‘chase’ function missing? Why’d Roland get rid of that? It was pretty nice and fun to use.That said, I’m starting to like the tones I’m getting out of this. I made a few other patches as well that I really liked, although I didn’t record them here. If you have other suggestions on how to use this thing, I have so far found the internet to be somewhat quiet on the JD-800. I don’t know why that is. The D50 is everywhere, so are the other Roland synths. But for the JD-800, I just am not seeing much of anything, apart from a few posts here and there about people wanting to sell theirs.#Roland #JD800 #ambientmusic
Under the abyss | Roland JD-800 ambient improvisation soundscape MIDERA 2023-02-25 | The Roland JD800. This is a synth that has interested me for years and it came yesterday. It feels like a D50+PG1000. But it doesn’t sound like one. I can hear a lot of similar sounds in here. Honestly, I really don’t know what to make of this synth. There is no honeymoon phase. It looks great and it feels great. Even the keys are surprisingly nice, given what I’ve read about them being awful. Yes, I will need to open this up and remove the red glue which hasn’t been a problem on this unit yet.I think I would love this thing more honestly, if I didn’t have so many synths and no good way to store them. I had bought a Jaspers stand but sold it within a few days because it made my room feel like a tomb and I just hated being in here. But now, I have too many synths and shouldn’t have even bought the JD800.For me, I’m not yet understanding how this synth is really worth its price. Sure, it has 4 parts, but each part is fairly static (no FM, AM, Cross Mod, etc). Each part has its own envelopes and LFOs and that is pretty nice, but I’ll never get unique timbres that one gets with other synthesis models.For now I feel like it sounds like a less interesting SY77 or D50. Maybe I’ll change my mind. I don’t know.This sound was made using 2 (or 3?) parts with internal FX only.#jd800 #roland #ambientmusic
Another wrong path | Roland System 8 JX3P Plug-out ambient pads MIDERA 2023-02-21 | Why is it another wrong path? Well, I obviously have too much stuff. Every time I think "I should sell XYZ..." I play it and really enjoy it. I bet I've written this a couple of times elsewhere. I've thought about selling the System 8. It just doesn't feel or look very nice and I have other instruments that do similar sounds better. Then I sit down and just play it and it has its own thing going on. So much that I can't say I'm even bothered by the green lights when I'm playing it. I forget about how ugly it is and just have fun.So I'm left thinking... I can't sell any of it. If only I had a solution I liked for storing a lot of these synths. I rearranged my whole studio in hopes that I could set things up nicer. That was a failure.No added FX except internal from the System 8.#Roland #ambientmusic #JX3P
Roland Jupiter 6 and DSI Tempest downtempo electronic track MIDERA 2023-02-15 | Here's a quick track I made using the Roland Jupiter 6 and a drum loop I made on the DSI Tempest. I had about 45 minutes to do this - so it's a bit rough around the edges. But to make this track I used the Split-1 mode on the Jupiter with two separate patches. It's kind of fun to use, but I see it as a live sort of thing, kind of finding two patches that work well and then just jamming with it rather than using it in general. So I probably won't use it often. I like to have the whole panel as one patch. Anyway, it's Valentine's Day - so hopefully you have something fun to do - or you had something fun to do, whether it's by yourself or with someone else. I am going to go hang out with my wife.Effects used: Boss MD500 (chorus), Strymon Volante (delay), and Eventide Blackhole VST (reverb)#Tempest #electronic #Jupiter6
Sci-Fi Sound FX DSI Poly Evolver Pads MIDERA 2023-02-13 | You may be wondering why all the knobs are missing on my Poly Evolver. Well, I ripped them off so that I could see what they looked like on my Roland System 8. They looked ok. But the problem with the System 8 really isn't in the knobs, but in the poor keybed (which I even opened up and lubed and it still doesn't feel nice). Well, I decided to keep them off and I think I'm going to upgrade my encoders to the 24-detented versions. That will be a lot of work if I do it.Anyway, I am sitting with the Poly Evolver and wondering whether it's something I should keep, being only 4 voices. That frustrates me quite a bit actually. I feel like at 6 voices it would have been amazing, and, I suppose it is only at 4 voices, but I find 6 is really the sweet spot. It's such a great synth though. I do have a mono evolver to add a voice, but it has a bug whereby the two won't always sound identical. Plus, you can't use the Audio inputs on the Poly Evolver to take the extra voice of the Mono Evolver. Just don't know what DSI was thinking. Only the PE Rack has that combination. Missed opportunity.Well, I guess as I played the Poly Evolver, I realized just how crazy this thing gets. I don't know any other synths that really get this crazy. I don't think any that I have really do this sequencing like that. Maybe the Korg Radias, but it doesn't really sound as nice (and doesn't have analog voices and filters). So - what you have is me going through and just messing around with a patch I made. I started it mid-way through my journey. I added the beginning portion to the end so you're welcome to get there if you want - although I find that people only watch the first few minutes of my videos anyway, so I doubt anyone will even get to that part!Used Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb.#dsi #synthesizer #ambientmusic
All that is left | Somber Meditative ambient music with Access Virus TI MIDERA 2023-02-09 | I made this track as an addendum to my Super 6 track. I thought about making the same song with the different instrument, but thought that was too boring, so I tried to make something else with the Virus. All of the sounds came from the Virus (no external FX). While I do wish I owned the 61 key version, I really like the look of the Polar... and I've got enough stuff.If you're wondering about the title... my wife sent me a photo of a man whose daughter died in a collapsed building in Turkey. His name is Mesut Hancer and his daughter, Irmak, was 15 years old. He held on to her hand through the rubble... and honestly, I don't know how a parent could go on after that. I feel so much anguish for them, and everyone over there. #VirusTI #ambientmusic #synthesizer
Breath of the clouds | Peaceful ambient music with UDO Super 6 MIDERA 2023-02-06 | Today I had a chance to test out a UDO Super 6 when a friend (Avery) visited. They wanted to check out my Jupiter 6 and borrow a friend's synth which was stowed away at my place for a while. They were kind enough to bring the Super 6 along for the ride. So what did I think of the Super 6? It's a bit hard to say honestly, if only because it was in my studio for about an hour and I only really messed with it for about 20 minutes total, including playing this.I found the naming convention similar to that of the DW8000 - where things were sort of not easy to understand right away - like MG for LFO (on the DW and I'm sure other Korg's of the era). Whatever, it's more on me for not understanding that aspect.I did have this weird sort of thinking that... I actually think the System 8 held up really well - and strangely, I actually am starting to think maybe I like how my System 8 looks. How can this even happen... I don't know. I think once you start bonding with things, even if they don't look great they still are really unique in other ways. That said, obviously the System 8 is sort of on a lower tier than the Super 6 in terms of build quality and everything else.I will say that I could understand someone parting with a Jupiter 6, Juno 6/60/106, and System 8 in order to grab the Super 6. It really does a lot of those things well. I am actually wondering why not sell the Jupiter 6 for the Super 6.So now that's point number 2 - how does the Jupiter 6 compare? Well... I think I'll need to sleep on that. Maybe I'll write something similar with the Jupiter 6 and see how I feel about it. I will say that there is an incredible amount of overlap on the two.I think the Jupiter 6 looks cooler though :P And something that I tried to hide (because it showed up at the beginning and I removed it) and did hear somewhat throughout this video... I could hear clicking when I pressed the keys even when the attack was set to very slow. I wonder what that's about or if it's some weird thing with the delay? I don't know.Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb.#UDOSUPER6 #ambientmusic #electronicmusic
Only grief weathers time | Downtempo electronic synth instrumental MIDERA 2023-01-28 | I think I have never sat here longer, not knowing a thing to write about, or how to title this track. I've thought about the day, the week, and all my music ever makes me think about is just how fleeting time is - I don't normally feel that way towards anything I listen to, just my music. I wonder if that's how others view their work? Or maybe it's just the focus of what I do? Which reminds me - when I ask if my music invokes 'sadness' I'm often hearing that, no, it doesn't sound sad, which is bizarre, because that is almost always the mood I'm going for. Ok - I guess that helped me figure out my title. Now I wonder whether I need to add a string of instruments in there... It's what I always do, but I don't like it. So, I guess I won't.But I better list out what I had because I recently went back to a track and masterfully did not include everything and now I've forgotten.Roland Jupiter 6 - pads at the beginning and throughoutRoland SH-101 - bassSequential Prophet 10 - ArpDSI Tempest - DruimsSquarp Pyramid - SequencerAll sounds routed to AUX to Strymon Volante then to Eventide Space#Electronic #synthesizer #jupiter
Pivot MIDERA 2023-01-25 | Today I got the call from my veterinarian. I was expecting the call. My cat Pivot was diagnosed with a skin cancer. I guess I knew it was coming. I half expected to hear 'cancer'. I know she's only a cat. But she's been with me since 2008 when she was about a year old, a crazy little kitty.Now, her own body has gone rogue against her and I will watch as it all unfolds. I don't know how long she's got. She is already 15, so she's had a pretty good long life, but I think maybe I could have done more earlier and I didn't.So far - she's 'healthy' and just has these lesions that aren't comfortable. From what I've read, these cancers don't always or necessarily move to other organs, so hopefully we have a decent amount of time left with her.When I told my daughter about what we should expect. She took it well. She had no questions... I'm guessing she just doesn't quite yet grasp what it means.Not that I really grasp what it means either.Roland Jupiter 6 (through Boss MD500)Roland JX3PDSI TempestEventide Blackhole VST
The One Ring Theme on Roland RS-202 stringer MIDERA 2023-01-23 | Some friends are swapping gear and using my place to swap as neither live near each other... so right now I'm sitting with a Roland RS-202 for a bit (don't worry, I was allowed to test it out and provide feedback). As you may know - I also have a Yamaha SK30 that I can't seem to bring myself to part with. And of course I figured why not see how they compare. Once they were next to each other, I could really tell where they differed. I would say the Roland RS-202 is 'silky' and has a very pleasing sound to it. The Yamaha SK30 is a bit harsher I guess. But they're very very different in almost every other way.The RS-202 has basically no controls except 'tone', a few switches for brass or string sounds, vibrato, and sustain. It does have a wonderful sounding ensemble effect with two settings.The SK30 has an envelope for the shared single filter on the polysynth, an organ section, tremolo and ensemble effects (they don't sound as good as the RS-202 ensemble), a fairly complex and robust routing system, detuning, and my personal favorite, the solo section which is a really nice sounding single VCO monosynth.Also, the SK30 is like 3X bigger than the RS-202. I really dislike how large the SK30 is. Well, here's all I could think to write, and it's not even mine. It's from the Lord of the Rings... but I'm guessing you knew that.I used the Strymon Volante pedal and Eventide Blackhole VST.
For what is missing | A melancholy improvisation with the Rhodes and AN1x MIDERA 2023-01-20 | Tonight I was moving stuff around in my studio and came across an old photo of me when I was 1 or 2... But I noticed that there was another photo behind it. I took it out and saw myself, at what must have been 6 months? I can't really tell. I was a baby. Seeing this photo made me feel strange in a way that's hard to explain - part of me felt bad for my parents, who don't have that little baby anymore, which I understand - as I watch my own babies grow into their older selves. You just see time ripping it away from you. So I see this picture of me and think that I went through that process. I guess time is to blame, not me. And then I just look at that photo and think a whole series of timelines could have happened - I wondered where it possibly could have gone based on all sorts of inputs (whether we moved or did not move to different places), I just had this potential that, as I get older, fades away. I think that's what spurred my sentiment as I wrote this song.
Afterglow | Downtempo electronic jam with Jupiter 6, Prophet 10, SH-101, DSI Tempest, and Pyramid MIDERA 2023-01-18 | I finally got my studio reorganized. I had spent about 3 weeks fixing up my Jupiter 6, but everything else became disheveled. I realized how much time I spend 'noodling' and how it's just not rewarding, not like writing music. I realize for the most part, my 'noodling' videos tend to do better - probably because people are specifically interested in what the instrument does.But I don't really get much out of those videos... except it keeps my channel 'active.' I'd take a written song any day over the nothing videos that I post. It feels good to get back into it.Track uses the Roland Jupiter 6, Sequential Prophet 10, Roland SH-101, and DSI Tempest. Eventide Blackhole VST for FX.#Jupiter #Prophet #Electronic
Roland Jupiter 6 | Thirty minutes of nothing MIDERA 2023-01-14 | 10 days. It took me 10 days to figure out how to fix my Jupiter 6 from the issue that presented itself in my last video. That is, a bad oscillator on voice 3 that prevented the pulse wave from working. I spent a lot of time, and with some help (or a lot of help) from a few friends, I managed to figure it out. I also managed to fix some of the sliders. So now my Jupiter 6, for the time being, seems to be in 100% working condition. It feels really good.To celebrate, I thought I would make a video exploring the Jupiter 6 more - although, unfortunately, I didn't really feel 'on', making mistake after mistake... but I just need to keep going, because it's all I can do.I think the second half is more interesting, but maybe you'll find something you like throughout.For FX - I used the Eventide Blackhole VST.
Exploring the Roland Jupiter 6 | What did I get myself into? MIDERA 2023-01-01 | I spent too much money on this. I told myself I shouldn't get it. I knew I didn't need it. I knew it wouldn't add anything to my setup. I knew it would be a project... And yet, I bought it. The Jupiter 6.The Jupiter 6 belonged to someone I know and have bought other things from. When we started our discussion, only 2 issues were known. The Master 2 knob and the ENV2 keytracking weren't working. I figured I could fix this. Then VCO MOD ENV-1 tracking wasn't working. Then, the unit wouldn't power on at all. They managed to get the power working again (the switch itself wasn't working). So I decided to go ahead with the purchase.I drove an hour to pick it up.I got it home and, yes, those issues persisted, but I tested it out and decided right then that this was indeed a mistake. My Prophet 10 is a better synth with less issues. Anyway, a few days passed and I decided it was time to open it up. I replaced the power switch. I tore out the 2 faders that weren't working. I cleaned them and fixed them. I cleaned out a few others that seemed to have intermittent issues.All seemed well... until I made this video. It was at the very end of this video when I realized that Oscillator 2 has one voice that isn't working correctly. The Pulse wave is silent. Digging deeper into this, I've found that IC36C pins 4 and 5 are not receiving any voltage. This is voice C (or 3). Unfortunately, so far this is beyond my skillset to fix, but it seems something (hopefully common between these two pins, both related to Pulse wave and PWM) is not working. It's not a bad chip, because I swapped chips and the issue persists on the same location, i.e., it didn't follow the chip. One possibility is that this location is not soldered properly, and those two aren't receiving any information. I'm not sure. I'd have to delve deeper, but again, I'm just out of my depths here.So what are my thoughts now? I'm frustrated that I put so much money into something that really needed more work than I originally thought... But then again, I've also learned a lot, like how to repair faders, how to do some basic IC chip testing.I am shocked by people saying it's 'cold'. I don't know what that is about at all. Doesn't sound cold at all to me. It sounds like a proper Roland synth. But wow it has a ton of range. I didn't properly capture it here, but a few sounds I have made sounded like hitting a stringed instrument... it's like you can feel the electricity, where I don't often feel that way with the Prophet 10. It's really a great sounding synth. To me, it retains everything I liked about my Juno 6 and added a lot more. The only thing I really miss about the Juno 6 is the better feeling faders and the smoother cutoff when modulated.All I can say is - I can't wait to have this thing back to 100%. Happy New Year!
Winterdawn | MIDERA - Downtempo electronic track featuring Spectralis, Virus TI, and Machinedrum MIDERA 2022-12-24 | Decided to try out the sequencer mode on the Virus and use more than one part. It was fun to use it more fully than just a single part. Enjoy.Check out my music here:soundcloud.com/mideraopen.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4Dpsmidera.bandcamp.com
Korg Radias ambient demo MIDERA 2022-12-22 | Today I decided to fix my Korg Radias. The Alpha dial encoder and the cutoff potentiometer had issues that always prevented me from enjoying the Radias. It took about an hour to dismantle and remove the parts. Now they're replaced it works as good as new.While I find a lot of the sound on the Radias to be... harsh? I also think it has really extreme modulation depth and is really quite fun for sound design.No external FX used.
Spectralis 2 Tutorial: Turn any digital poly synth into a paraphonic hybrid analog synth. MIDERA 2022-11-23 | Do you have a Spectralis 1 or 2 (they are identical for this tutorial)?Do you have a polyphonic synth that you'd like to do something new with?With a Spectralis, you can use it's internal filters to create a paraphonic hybrid synthesizer by sending the external audio inputs into the Spectralis. Here I'm bringing the Access Virus TI Polar into the Spectralis 2 and processing it with the analog (and digital) filters. The Virus is using a very basic initialized patch that you will hear at one point during the video.Now, WHY would you want to do this? Simple. Let's say you have a digital synth with no analog filters and want to give it new punch. What if you WANT to have a 'paraphonic-like' sound? This is one way to achieve that. Perhaps, for no other reason than to do it, because it sounds good. Mixed with the internal oscillators, it sounds a lot like my Yamaha SK30. You can do so many things - why would you not want to try this if you have a Spectralis?I say that this is creating a paraphonic 'hybrid' analog synth - but if you use an analog synthesizer going into this, I guess it would no longer be hybrid, it would be a fully analog paraphonic synth. I don't think it matters either way. Is it paraphonic in the first place? I don't want to get into this debate. Frankly because I don't care about full or partial articulations. To me, it just means multiple voices that go through a single filter and VCA. That's all I mean.This requires you to have your synthesizer with Local ON, on the same MIDI channel (1) as the internal part you are using.I think you could do something similar with the Elektron Analog Heat. BUT - I think the Spectralis does a lot more, because you can sequence the sounds you are creating, you can add internal oscillators, you can FM the filters using the oscillators, and a LOT more. It may seem complex, but it's feasible to do and hopefully this video helps guide you on how to approach that. Given that the Spectralis 1 and 2 seem to go for around $800-$1200 (in 2022), and all that it does - it's really worth it's price. This does mean it's twice as much money as an Analog Heat (which probably does other things really well - I've never used it and fully understand why you'd go for that instead of the Spectralis - BUT if you already have a Spectralis, this is a great way to experiment with it. Furthermore, I found using this setup to sound VERY similar to my Moog Matriarch. You've got multiple filters, that can be panned and modulated in a ton of ways. I'm not saying Spectralis + another synth = Moog Matriarch, they're different. BUT the sound seemed very similar to me, with the paraphonic aspects.I fumbled around a bit - because I had to learn things on the way as well, which goes to show that even after owning this thing, I'm still not a true master of using it.
Spectralis 2 walkthrough: Listening to the oscillators through the fixed filterbank and LPF MIDERA 2022-11-21 | In this video, I go through the Spectralis 2 digital oscillators and send them through the fixed filterbank (digital) and then through the 24db LP filter so you can hear how it sounds. I attempted to showcase what it sounds like so you can hear the monosynth engine doing its thing. There are no FX applied. Everything you hear is from the synthesizer (as well as my voice, obviously).I really only use the saw waves, so if you were hoping for more - let me know what you'd like to hear and in what way you'd like it presented.
Haven for Crows | A somber ambient instrumental live performance with Yamaha SK30 and Rhodes Piano MIDERA 2022-11-20 | Please support my music - subscribe and share.Listen to my music here: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsPurchase my music here: midera.bandcamp.comI wrote this track today, after setting up my Rhodes and SK30 again after reorganizing my studio (for what must be the 100th time this year).It's been a rough year. 2022 has not been kind. It started with COVID19 in early January, followed by two herniated discs, a wrist strain, a knuckle injury, torn abdominal muscles, a broken toe, knee pain, and more. Many of these issues continue today - some days I wonder if the pains will ever go away or if they'll haunt me for the rest of my life. But what is there to do other than press on?Yamaha SK30 going through Hologram Microcosm, Rhodes piano fed through Strymon DIG, and both with a little eventide Blackhole VST.#Strymon #rhodes #yamahasynths #eventide #hologram
Rising of the Lights | DSI Tempest and Elektron Monomachine demo MIDERA 2022-11-12 | Picked up this DSI Tempest in a trade (plus cash). Immediately said I hated it, but I guess I didn't really think about letting it have its own workflow. Typically I sequence drums, but here I did overdub and live sequencing (i.e., finger drumming) and I dunno, I guess this is the result after about 2 hours with the thing.#tempest #elektron #monomachine
Spectralis as an advanced FX unit (Tutorial) MIDERA 2022-11-11 | What you hear at the beginning is what I end up doing towards the end of the video - I'll set a timestamp for that at some point.EDIT: I am providing a link to this pattern (PATT17.SPT) that should contain the final edits from this. The tempo is linked to the song, not included. So change the tempo to 170 BPM if you want to hear this. Obviously you will need external gear attached to hear anything. If you can't download the link, let me know, the options for icloud sharing was weird.In my first edition of this video, my camera turned off due to a 'full disk' and I had to start over after recording 22 minutes. I was told during my previous video to just go fast and skip the Spectralis 101 type stuff.My apologies on going slow to explain things. Sometimes my brain doesn't remember words and there's a lot to talk about.So just a few notes to keep clear:There are 3 different filters in the Spectralis.1) 24db LP filter2) 12db MM filter (includes a LP, HP, and BP filter)3) Fixed Filterbank (FF)External input sounds can be routed to ANY of these, and in almost any order. Theoretically, you can send a sound into the LP filter through to the FF and send it back to the LP. You'll just get feedback, obviously, but it can be done.Hope this is of interest.0:00 Preview0:17 Introduction1:08 Route external gear through Sum outputs1:46 Route external gear through 12db MM filter3:10 Demonstrating sounds through the 3 MM filters7:21 Route external gear through 24db LP filter9:17 Use oscillator to FM the MM filter14:28 Route the MM filter through the Fixed Filterbank19:18 Sequencing each FF band in tempo27:06 Pan each sequenced FF band28:06 Route the MM through FF through LP filter29:30 Sequence a second oscillator to FM the LP filter33:03 Adjust oscillator waveshapes and tuning35:10 Final thoughts35:40 Outroicloud.com/iclouddrive/001UuuIGvapsek9EBE4y0mSjA#PATT17
Spectralis Walkthrough Part 1 - Navigate oscillator routing and some basic sequencing MIDERA 2022-10-20 | I haven't made a Spectralis walkthrough or tutorial in a long time so I tried to make a more in-depth walkthrough of the Spectralis I and II oscillator routing and structure. Hopefully this is something you can go along with and learn some things as I walk through this. I realize I fumble around quite a bit, but some of the things in the Spectralis I just never use so I haven't put much effort into learning. Please set your bar low for quality of my video - I'm not loopop and don't have the time to produce better videos. Sorry for that.Where I think this will help is for someone wanting to learn how to route the digital VCO's into different filters.I go through the basic overview of the Spectralis, then demonstrate activating the oscillators, how to route them, how to modulate them, and how to sequence them. At the end, I also go into routing external gear into the analog filters as well, although I wasn't intending to do that during this video.My apologies for the video quality. I chose to use my iPhone to see how it would work and I was absolutely disappointed with how it turned out, from a shaky screen to low resolution to the inability to use the video without converting it first (and finding that conversion of the video slightly changed the speed of it too, making it difficult to sync with audio).Hopefully you find this useful. But if not. That's ok too.0:00 Introduction1:53 First song on power up2:40 Part select3:22 Mute parts3:55 Solo parts4:05 Play parts4:43 Brief overview of other sections6:08 Song select6:45 Select Song 32 (for tutorial)7:07 Pattern select8:48 Connections and audio routing9:17 Hybrid synth introduction10:00 Setting hybrid routing and trigger groups11:24 Analog filters12:00 Basic pattern start13:00 Oscillator 1 through LP filter (set routing)16:37 Turn up Oscillator 1 through LP filter18:42 Open up the LP filter19:49 Oscillator 1 waveforms21:43 Time Linearity Modulation (PWM)22:18 Use LFOs and velocity to modulate PWM24:45 LFO menu28:05 Add a second oscillator to LP filter29:27 Adjust tuning (OSC DETUNE)34:55 Oscillator pitch envelopes36:47 Oscillator keyboard pitch scaling37:50 Using Oscillator 3 as an LFO43:13 Creating a simple sequence with the oscillators44:41 MIDI learn sequencer notes46:25 Inputting sequence notes48:25 Note priority adjustment49:00 Note Probability49:35 Adjust filter settings50:30 Adjust Volume Envelope generator for oscillators51:40 Adjust Filter envelope generators52:53 Add dynamics of sequencer lines (Probability, velocity)53:30 Adjust filter resonance54:28 Add delay effects to the LP filter54:52 Adjust Delay FX settings57:12 Using oscillators to FM the filters1:00:28 Sequencing oscillator 4 to modulate parameters (setup)1:03:20 Adding a new sequencerline to use oscillator 41:08:34 A comment on the workflow1:09:50 Saving the pattern1:11:25 Navigate to another pattern1:11:59 More comments about what we learned or didn't learn1:13:26 Adjust LP cutoff LFO1:14:00 Groove edit? No - another day.1:15:13 EXTRA: Routing external synthesizer into Spectralis filters1:21:25 Suggestions? Comments? Final notes, I mean it.
DSI Prophet 12 | The Xophen Soundbank, a bank of 99 patches including pads, leads, brass, FM bells MIDERA 2022-09-25 | Included is a series of patches I have made since July 2021. I recorded everything here within one run, so you will hear whatever mistakes I make as I go through all of the patches to give you a feel for how they all sound. There is no reverb on these sounds (as much as I would have preferred how they sounded). Anything you hear will sound the same on my unit as it does on yours. Small amount of master limiting was used.A few notes though - you are advised to turn your Master Volume up. This is because there is a strange behavior on the Prophet 12 where if you lower the Master Volume, you may hear very strange differences in panning of voices, hence, my Master Volume is at Maximum and my VCA values are much lower to compensate. This has worked well for me. I actually had sent my unit in for diagnostics for fear that something was wrong. Sequential informed me that this was normal behavior.To read my review of the Prophet 12, go here: midera-artist.com/dave-smith-instruments-prophet-12To purchase my soundbank, go here: midera-artist.com/synthesizer-patches00:00:00 Ring Moon P1 00:00:35 Lead Storm P2 00:00:53 Bell Tone P3 00:01:46 Super Saw P4 00:02:43 FM Tines P5 00:03:22 Moon Island P6 00:03:55 Galaxy P7 00:04:37 Stone Wall P8 00:05:12 Castles P9 00:05:56 EDEN P10 00:06:59 Fazon P11 00:07:48 Zenith P12 00:08:43 Fallen P13 00:09:19 Daedra P14 00:10:15 Brass P15 00:10:54 Bella P16 00:11:44 Settling P17 00:12:04 Baath P18 00:12:39 Davos P19 00:13:32 Dust P20 00:14:04 Rusted Shores P21 00:14:40 Xio P22 00:15:29 Gnome P23 00:15:56 ToHC P24 00:16:45 Masonite P25 00:17:28 Caste Knight P26 00:18:09 Angel Kiss P27 00:19:14 Harlaqueen P28 00:19:53 Piano EP P29 00:20:19 TOF P30 00:21:00 Valkarye P31 00:21:45 Darsha P32 00:22:35 Ectica P33 00:23:24 Starside P34 00:24:10 Belle P35 00:24:51 Better Z P36 00:25:25 Polaris P37 00:26:28 DX FM1 P38 00:26:56 FM Pluck P39 00:27:32 Ocean P40 00:28:19 Ice Forest P41 00:28:46 SuperSawz P42 00:29:47 HYDROS P43 00:30:13 Arp Raider P44 00:31:30 Xyla P45 00:32:54 FM Chime P46 00:33:38 Bellz P47 00:34:04 Toy Xylaphone P48 00:34:44 Tinez P49 00:35:21 Arpology P50 00:36:26 Chorus Saw P51 00:37:14 Chorus P52 00:37:41 Chorus Pad P53 00:38:09 Bass Arp P54 00:38:36 Brom P55 00:39:21 Bromine P56 00:39:46 REV2 P57 00:40:36 Zoomie P58 00:41:13 PLOK P59 00:42:10 Tamic P60 00:42:48 Dire P61 00:43:48 Balloon P62 00:44:17 gram P63 00:45:12 za1iIB YoprFm P64 00:45:29 Whale Song P65 00:46:31 SIN P66 00:47:05 Frozen P67 00:47:49 Dire Dire P68 00:48:21 Manjaro P69 00:48:57 Better X P70 00:49:29 M1000 RAIN P71 00:50:07 M1K PWM P72 00:51:29 JX3P P73 00:52:08 JX3P C P74 00:52:36 Gargoyle P75 00:53:28 M1000 P100 P76 00:54:17 M1000 P100 X P77 00:54:46 ValkaryeX P78 00:55:27 R3PR06RAM P79 00:56:15 SunX P80 00:57:21 Polaris Strings P81 00:58:01 PADS P82 00:58:33 CastAway P83 00:59:21 Wonky PIANO P84 00:59:53 PIANO1 P85 01:00:22 Violin P86 01:01:04 Soaring P87 01:02:06 Chime P88 01:02:53 Winter P89 01:04:05 JAR P90 01:04:27 Vangelis P91 01:05:02 Glass P92 01:05:55 WIND P93 01:06:24 Onward P94 01:07:17 Huge Pad P95 01:07:46 Walls P96 01:08:40 BandP Chorus P97 01:09:14 Sync Pad P98 01:09:54 Sadness P99
Spectralis 2 demo MIDERA 2022-09-18 | Everything from the Spectralis - Half of the drums were fed into the 12db LP filter and an oscillator was used to frequency modulate the filter, creating a ring-mod sort of sound that could be sequenced to different pitch.Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb. There was only a single pass done, so everything you hear is from the SUM output.Find me on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Frpq...Support my music here: http://midera.bandcamp.com
State of being | MIDERA | Spectralis, Poly Evolver, Prophet 10, Machinedrum MIDERA 2022-09-17 | If you saw my previous version of this and are confused, I realized later that I didn't want the bass to be present throughout the entire track. I wanted some 'airy-ness' to the music, which I thought the bass part distracted from.Find me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsSupport my music here: http://midera.bandcamp.comRadikal Technologies Spectralis 2Elektron Machinedrum UW+Dave Smith Instruments Poly Evolver KeyboardMono Evolver DesktopSequential Prophet 10Eventide Blackhole VST#Sequential #downtempo #electronicmusic
Magnetic dance | Kinotone ribbons ambient demo MIDERA 2022-09-15 | Was going through the 'Touch modes" and found this thing called magnetic dance. It sounds amazing. You can press the 'touch' button and based on T1 and T2 settings on page 4... you can create these ambient loops that tune the loops to 4 note chords, and change the direction of the repeated sound. Just... so good. I did put some LP filter and HP filter on it, and obviously, reverb. All FX you hear come from ribbons.From the manual:"Touch Mode 1 – Magnetic Dance:Use Magnetic Dance (green LED) to create stunning drones, chords, and ambient soundscapes.In this mode, the pedal is constantly recording to a 1 second loop in the background. When the Touch footswitch is pressed, numerous tape heads start dancing across the loop. When each head reaches the end of the loop, it resets and jumps to a random start point."Purchase the Kinotone ribbons pedal here: kinotoneaudio.com/products/ribbons
Moonshadow | A Kinotone ribbons pedal demo MIDERA 2022-09-14 | Only really utilized the reverb and compression, and honestly, it sounds amazing for that. So... I wrote this and had a blast.Support my similar music projects: michaelraleigh.bandcamp.comPurchase the pedal here (no affiliation): kinotoneaudio.com
Kinotone ribbons magnetic tape guitar pedal | Looper demo MIDERA 2022-09-13 | I realized in my first demo, I hadn't actually ever tested out the looping functions. I came up with this fun loop (well, actually the first thing I came up with) and started to play over it and said to myself that maybe this was good enough to record, so I did. I continued playing over the top of the original loop. No external FX used.I accidentally recorded some strange sound over the top. I don't know what happened, I swear it came in when I modified some of the parameters, but it could have come in from accidentally doing something with my guitar, I don't really know.To purchase ribbons: kinotoneaudio.com/products/ribbonsIf you enjoy this music, please support my (similar) music here: michaelraleigh.bandcamp.com
Kinotone Ribbons stereo magnetic tape emulator demonstration MIDERA 2022-09-12 | A short demonstration of the Kinotone Ribbons pre-production unit that I purchased in April. I admit I haven't had a ton of time to play with it, as I spent most of the summer refinishing my studio and because I haven't touched my guitars in quite a long time. I used mono out, but I know Ribbons can be used in stereo. I also didn't mess around with some of the deeper settings, including the looper function. Perhaps in a follow up video...Ribbons can be purchased here: kinotoneaudio.com
DSI Poly Evolver Keyboard | Ambient pads demo MIDERA 2022-08-23 | I don't know what I was thinking. I probably wasn't. But I bought it anyway. I was curious how it sounds. This was my first night with it - although it was almost a week ago I recorded this.So a few of my thoughts:1) I was an idiot for getting the old encoder version. I shouldn't have bought this when I could get a potentiometer upgrade version for the cost difference of getting the conversion kit. Only, the conversion kit by DSI is no longer available, so that's cool. DSI told me what encoders to buy to replace them, but they had no interest in helping me further. I know the PE is older, but my P12 was out of warranty and production when I required stuff and they were happy to help for a really low price. I wonder if mergers had anything to do with this...2) Yeah, it sounds really good. Definitely sounds better than my Prophet 12... maybe even better than the P5/10. You can certainly get to different territories with the different instruments. What I don't understand is why Sequential made the PE sound so good with the digital waves, but the digital waves in the Prophet 12 really don't sound as good. They have a muted tone and you miss out on some of these high frequencies that just tickly your ears. What's up with that?3) Did I mention the encoders feel terrible? Yeah, they do. The previous owner said that they did not skip around, but I'm pretty sure about 1/2 or more of these encoders skip. I didn't take enough time to think about this aspect, regardless of what someone said about the encoders working or not working... this is 78 encoders I want to just replace with better ones.4) Four voices is really just not enough. Maybe it's ok for other people... but I've considered getting two desktops to bring it to 6 voices. That would be cool, albeit, a bit much.5) It's a really pretty looking synth. The blue lights are really quite something.6) I guarantee I spent too much on this, and the way my luck has gone (I bought a P12 for $2300 last year and now I see them going for $1200-$1500 this year), I'm guessing the price will drop so far on me I'll never have a reason to sell it.7) The UI sucks compared to the Prophet 12... In a way, it reminds me of the difference between Skyrim (Prophet 12) and Oblivion (Poly Evolver). Oblivion is just a lot uglier (everyone's faces look like potatoes) but the overall story is better and more interesting. Skyrim plays well, the mechanics are all up to date (relatively speaking) and it's a more immersive environment, but at the end of the day, the older game just has something over the newer game.Regarding the UI - I hate not being able to hold 'shift' and twist a knob to know what the parameter value is, or holding a button for source, twisting a knob, and having that parameter linked to the source/destination...8) Keybed is far superior over the P12. What was DSI thinking? "Hey, we should buy some junk keybeds now that people are used to our Poly Evolver keybed..." I bet they saved like $50 on the MSRP to sell a much cheaper keybed for that thing... hoping to eek out like 2 more sales. The PE has a great keybed, not my favorite, but it's definitely not cheap and feels great.Well, I'd be selling my P12, but it's a cool looking synth and I would lose at least $600 selling it if I tried selling now, so I'm hanging on to it. The Poly Evolver? Well, it's really superior in many ways but with some limitations (wall wart, 4 voices, fairly old, terrible encoders). I do need to part with some gear, that's for sure.Added Blackhole VST for reverb.
The Pale Dream | Spectralis 2, Prophet 10, Virus TI | IDM MIDERA 2022-08-17 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comIn this track - I tried something different with the drums - I routed the Spectralis drums into the analog section, first into the fixed filterbank, then into the LP, HP, and BP 12db MM filter, and then FM'd the filter frequency using the 4 oscillators... This was the result. I had originally done this using a second Spectralis, but realized that it could be done with just one unit, which was easier to deal with anyway.Spectralis: Drums, piano, stringsProphet 10: PadVirus TI: Bassline towards endProphet 10 goes through the Boss MD-500, and Strymon Volante.Most sounds go through Eventide Blackhole VST#Spectralis #IDM #Strymon
Korg opsix demo MIDERA 2022-08-11 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comYes, I got the opsix on a massive sale just like pretty much everyone else. So here are my thoughts from day 1. It's surprisingly more complicated than I would have imagined, and I don't mean the FM portion of it. That part is fine, I 'get' FM, but it's just a really deep machine, far deeper than you'd expect for FM. I don't understand most of it yet, so that will take time (if I want to even devote any time to it). The FX are very good, which I think people have already described.It sounds... well, I think it sounds good, but it's hard to shake a 'lack of character' or feeling of 'vst-ness' about it. I'm not sure what that is. But it just lacks anything that makes it stand out as interesting to me. The filters sound ok, but nothing terribly special. The Polysix filter just sounds like a 24db filter. I had a Polysix (and yes, it is gone now), but that filter doesn't really resemble it. Compared to the SY77... I think the focus of the FM portion on the SY makes it actually a little more enjoyable to edit, even sans sliders/knobs. Mostly, the sound is that much better too. There's some weight to the sound that I don't hear on the opsix - although given I've only used it one night, that doesn't mean a whole lot. But I definitely prefer machines that provide you with focus, rather than a lot of distracting features, personally. The keybed is better than I thought it would be. The OLED screen is very nice and I do like the controls. Undoubtedly, the synth may grow on me, but since I'm trying to downsize this may be just a synth I play with in passing and then sell to someone else. Oh, the 16 step sequencer is ok, but I think they could have easily gone to 64 steps. Not sure why only 16 steps. Anyway, I guess I'd rate the opsix above the Reface DX (which is built better, but I absolutely hated the UI), but below the SY77 (and DX7, although I've used them less). For $330, it was a worthwhile purchase.Drums were added to the track just because it seemed like the right thing to do. I would have done electronic drums but I didn't want to hook up the opsix to my sequencers quite yet.
Living sessions #1 | Moog Matriarch, Rhodes Piano, and drums | Electric Rock MIDERA 2022-08-10 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comAfter 2 months of updating my studio and actually getting lots of rest for a change (I had nothing to do most nights because I couldn't work on my studio when my kids and wife were sleeping, so I would resign myself to just going to bed at a decent hour and being way more productive during the day), I am back. I finally was able to set up everything and start writing music. It's surprising how much happens in a matter of two months. In that time I learned that I had a herniated disc in my back which was causing pain in my leg that I (naturally) assumed was bone cancer, and subsequently panicked for an entire month. I went through major ups and downs with work (and continue to, far more than I have in the past), my oldest daughter turned 5 and will be starting Kindergarten in a few weeks, my youngest is almost 1 year old and getting closer to walking. I've started selling off synthesizers, my Korg Polysix is now gone, and other gear is soon to follow. I have too much stuff. Way too much stuff. My studio is a lot nicer now, and I would like to keep it somewhat organized. What do I need so many synths for anyways?What I've made in this track wasn't originally intended to be this long. I was going to make a 5 minute clip of the first track, but decided to keep going and write new sequences (during recording) on the Matriarch and make new songs. I then recorded drums on top of that to get what you hear throughout.Eventide Blackhole VST used on most parts.#Rhodespiano #Moogmatriarch #drums 0:00 Track 16:50 Track 212:30 Track 3
Roland Juno 6 versus Korg Polysix | Comparison MIDERA 2022-07-18 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comComparing the Juno-6 (stereo) to Polysix (mono). I had thought about keeping them 'even' by only using one output, but then I realized that that is just a disadvantage to the Korg and should be part of the demo. Ok - so what do I think about them? Aesthetics/constructionWell, if you were to sit them next to each other, they're both really nice looking synths comparatively. I can't say which one looks nicer. They're about the same size. When you sit down to play them, you'll almost immediately feel the difference. The keybed in the Juno is far superior to the Polysix. I thought people have said the Juno has the same keybed as the JX3P and D50, but my Juno's keybed feels much better than either of those (which do feel similar to each other). I personally prefer knobs over sliders I think, although the ones on the Juno feel excellent and the Polysix knobs don't feel that high quality. SoundWhen the Juno is not in stereo, the chorus sounds surprisingly similar to the Polysix chorus (audio not available). Also, I prefer the sound of the Juno filter, I think it makes a bit of a 'scratchy' sound that you don't really get with the Polysix, but they're both good. In a way, the Polysix sounds markedly thinner. I don't know if that's just me, maybe it's a good thing too (i.e., it mixes better with FX pedals?). ValueBoth seem to be around the same value on the used market. I think the Juno has a lot of clones out there in various products (System 8, JU-06, JU-06A, Juno-X, Jupiter-X, Tal-U-No-LX, Deepmind 12, etc). I don't really know many Polysix clones, apart from the VST collection and maybe something by Behringer coming out soon? I'd guess maybe it is easier for someone to 'scratch the itch' of the Juno's in this regard. Personally, I've put my Polysix on the chopping block a few times. I'm not sure I could part with the Juno cuz I do think it's a slightly cooler looking synth, but I also have it in the System 8 and that sounds excellent, if not almost a perfect emulation (but it feels like crap and looks like crap in comparison, which are somewhat important to me, unfortunately). That said, I've written a LOT of tracks with the Polysix and must admit that I love it. So what will I do in the end? Maybe post them both and the one that sells first goes, lol. I don't know. The reason being - I have too much gear and not enough space. I just renovated my studio which actually reduced the amount of space I have (added insulation and shiplap, in Mid-July, even if this video says it was posted in April, I made the video before I posted it). A lot of stuff needs to go.0:00 Square wave0:45 PWM2:35 LFO speeds3:04 Sub oscillator (added to Square wave)3:38 -2 sub oscillator (Polysix only)3:55 Sawtooth wave5:00 Chorus5:48 Phaser (Polysix only)6:06 Ensemble FX (Polysix only)7:00 Filter cutoff sweep 0% resonance7:30 Filter cutoff sweep 50% resonance7:48 Filter cutoff sweep 100% resonance9:58 arpeggiators10:25 Arp + envelope speeds (snappiness of envelope)12:05 Speed of arpeggiators12:43 Making random patches14:00 Envelope release length (Juno about 18 seconds, Polysix at least 25 seconds)For some reason I was sick of letting the Polysix finish ringing out for its release. Sorry about that.
Squarp Pyramid meets EMU XL7 Command Station MIDERA 2022-05-28 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comFinally made a track and have learned a sufficient amount to make something with the Squarp Pyramid. I think it pairs well with the EMU XL7. Eventide Blackhole VST used for some parts.#Squarp #Pyramid #XL7
Fatal Error | IDM track featuring Spectralis 2, Virus TI, Machinedrum Juno 6 MIDERA 2022-05-27 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comI had been making all sorts of cool music on my newly acquired Squarp Pyramid... but then it gave me "Fatal Error" and I lost the entire track I had been writing. Sounded lovely, I think. Well, now it's gone and I'm nervous I bought a (used) machine that is faulty. :/ Sigh...........#Spectralis #IDM #Juno
Ensoniq SQ1 ambient demo MIDERA 2022-05-17 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comEventide Blackhole VST used on all parts.I purchased this dilapidated Ensoniq SQ1 with a bunch of other gear recently. I thought I would just try to sell it for $50 or something. I wasn't sure if I should fix it up or just let it go as is to someone else. Eight keys are busted. Five keys wouldn't make a sound. Sticker residue stuck everywhere. Low battery warning.In a matter of 30 minutes, I had fixed all the no-sounding keys, purchased the 8 needed keys, replaced the battery (with a socketed one), and got rid of the sticker residue. All I have left is to put those 8 keys in and it will be in decent shape.It's nice bringing things back to life. I know it's just stuff, but I mean, letting it fall further into decay just adds more junk to this planet. Maybe by fixing this up, it'll go to someone who really loves it. I think it sounds pretty great actually. A bit bummed by the low voice count, that surprised me how quickly voice stealing occurs. I think because each voice can be made up of 3 sounds, and if you use all 3 sounds, you suddenly have very few voices (I think it has 21 voices total?). So you could be left with 7 actual voices if you use all 3 parts! Still, it's actually pretty decent and not too difficult to edit.#ensoniq #SQ1 #ambient
Futuresonus Parva | Ambient improvisation demo MIDERA 2022-04-24 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comHit record and just tweaked the synth and filters.Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb.#ambient #futuresonusparva #synthesizer
Underneath the shaded tree | Acoustic Guitar and Prophet 12 improvisation MIDERA 2022-04-23 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comEverything was made on the spot, one recording for each pass. Enjoy.Eventide Blackhole VST used on P12 and guitar.#Tranquil #acousticguitar #prophet12
Jumper | Somber Acid with Roland SH-101, Elektron Machinedrum, DSI Prophet 12 MIDERA 2022-04-22 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comEventide Blackhole VST used on P12 and SH-101.#Elektron #synthesizer #acid
3athx8 | Somber Acid with Roland SH-101, Behringer RD-9, DSI Prophet 12 MIDERA 2022-04-22 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comI got a Behringer RD-9 and had plans to sell it, but the buyer never showed up, so I tried it one more time and wanted to test out sequencing the SH-101 using its trigger outs. It was fun to create.Eventide Blackhole VST used on P12 and SH-101.
Access Virus B versus TI MIDERA 2022-04-20 | I currently have both a Virus B (kb) and TI and thought I'd make a comparison video. I'm only going over simple waveforms and some filters, not equivalent patches to test (as I'm not exactly a skilled player, it's hard to demonstrate those differences well). Hope this is of some use to those who are wanting to buy a Virus or wanting to upgrade or downgrade.0:00 Introduction2:28 Saw wave5:55 Pulse wave7:35 PWM via LFO8:20 PWM + Sub Osc 11:35 Frequency Modulation (FM)14:54 Sine wave FM16:22 Unison (3 voices stacked)18:00 Filter introduction19:20 Filter 1 LP cutoff sweep, 0% resonance19:57 Filter 1 LP cutoff sweep, 50% resonance20:33 Filter 1 LP cutoff sweep, 100% resonance22:45 Filter 1 HP cutoff sweep, 0% resonance23:10 Filter 1 HP cutoff sweep, 100% resonance23:55 Reverb setup25:53 Hall Reverb in action27:05 Reverb color increase28:09 Large Room reverb29:22 Small Room reverb30:52 Practical use patch setup with reverb32:17 Virus B patch with reverb33:04 Virus TI patch with reverb34:25 Virus B patch with reverb and resonance35:56 Virus TI patch with reverb and resonance37:18 Internal clipping on the TI?40:15 Simple delay comparison42:24 Overview of differences43:55 Hypersaw (TI only)45:33 Chorus (no real comparison, sorry)46:11 Final thoughts
Starweather | Rhodes, Yamaha SK30, Korg EMX, Toraiz Squid moody IDM MIDERA 2022-04-18 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comI finally figured out how to sequence the monosynth from the Yamaha SK30 using the Toraiz Squid. Added a beat. Added the Rhodes, and just had fun.Eventide Blackhole VST for reverbPolysynth in SK30 went through Hologram Microcosm
Moody Piano | Prophet 12 improvisation MIDERA 2022-04-16 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comWhile struggling to enjoy the Prophet 12... I was just fumbling around making sounds, mostly in frustration. Listed my synth in the local group (at a loss). But then I heard this sound... it reminded me of a piano, and for the next two hours, I worked on creating this patch. And so here it is.Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb
Roland Juno-6 (with Juno-66 Tubbutec mod) VCF audio rate modulation by Moog Matriarch MIDERA 2022-04-12 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comMy friends and I lamented the fact that my Juno-6 Juno-66 mod was not entirely completed, in that it does not have access to the LFO shape functions. One of my friends suggested sending the S/H OUT from the Matriarch into the VCF input in the Juno-6. So... I did, and then switched it to WAVE output and... well, this is the result of that.The Matriarch LFO goes into audio rates and it brings the Juno-6 into new territory. Not only can I access S/H LFOs, but audio rate manipulation. I can also sync the LFO manipulation if I use the Arpeggio sync input in the back of the Juno.At some points I do utilize the Tubbutec mod with its power arp (i.e., sequencer). Also, the voices are all slightly detuned. Enjoy the noodling.0:00 Audio Rate modulation1:33 Tubbutec "Power Arp"3:00 Square wave modulation4:25 S/H modulation7:55 Sine wave modulation12:25 High Resonance modulation and effects15:56 Pad with S/H modulation20:47 Bass arpeggio with S/H OUT to VCF and WAVE OUT to Clock inEventide Blackhole VST used for reverb.
Roland Juno 6 versus Roland System 8 Juno 60 plug out | In-depth comparison MIDERA 2022-04-06 | High-level take:1) Sound: System 8 sounds VERY close to the Juno 6. Fairly equivalent, but differences can be heard.2) Feel: No contest. The Juno 6 has the feel of a luxury synth, the sliders are lovely, the keys are lovely. The System 8 feels like an M-Audio midi controller from the mid 2000's.3) Look: No contest. The Juno 6 looks incredible. The design is just up there. It is iconic. The System 8? It would not look out of place in a gamer's den with an Alienware computer and Mountain Dew strewn about.Overall experience: Based on the above, I can't help but just FEEL differently about the two instruments. Roland did an excellent job on the System 8, there's no doubt about it. It sounds very good and does a LOT more than the Juno 6, that is clear. The sound IS there. The problem isn't how it sounds, but how it is experienced. Sure, I can 'play' a Juno 60, or Juno 106, or JX3P, Jupiter 8, System 8, or any number of other plug-outs. They sound very good (although my experience with the JX3P is that the Plug out is not quite there). I believe the Juno 60 plug out sounds better either because it is newer, or because it is simpler than the JX3P. This makes me suspect the Jupiter 8 plug out might not really get there either (as it is a 2 oscillator synth). There only exists one comparison out there on Reddit, and I don't think the person owned both.The biggest difference in the sound to me was when I threw the resonance to max and the cutoff to zero with envelope amount and decay and sustain to max. The Juno 6 was much darker (i.e., more closed filter) than the System 8. I would have close down the envelope amount on the System 8 to match. You hear that in the demo. The chorus 1+2 is pretty different too. NOTE: I erroneously had key-tracking on the Juno set to 0, which is actually NEGATIVE!! My apologies!!!Where the sound ends, you are met with a blast of the rest of the experience. The look could not be any further from the Juno 6. We go from classic to garrish. That is a hard pill to swallow. Some seem to like it - and that's great. There's nothing wrong with liking how it looks. I personally do not like how it looks (although if I change the green to mint green on my videos, it does look cooler). I don't really like the fact that the upper chassis is made up of one plastic mould. I prefer the upper part of the panel to be separated from the mod wheel area. On the System 8, you just see this long panel reaching down from the top to the bottom by the mod wheel and I personally don't like how that looks. It looks cheap. The FEEL or experience is so largely different. The System 8 just feels cheap to me. The keys don't have a nice feel, sometimes sort of sticking too. I want to open mine up and use white lithium grease on the keys, maybe that would help. The Juno 6 feels like playing a nice instrument. The metal panel, the sliders, the keys - oh the keys feel so nice. Apparently they're the same as the JX3P and D50 based on that "Ultimate Keybed Thread" but I have all three and the Juno 6 feels MUCH nicer. Conclusion: I know I'm complaining a lot about the System 8. The truth is it does in fact sound very good. When I first got the Juno 6 I said to myself that it was a huge mistake because the System 8 sounds identical. The differences are not big enough for me to prefer the Juno (unlike the JX3P, which DOES sound better than the plug out). The Juno has a much better 'sweet spot' but only because it's range does not go as wide/far as the System 8. Is that a good thing that the Juno 6 has more sweet spots because it limits its ranges more? I don't know.One intangible thing. I cannot explain this, but when I play a System 8, even if it sounds good, I wonder "Is this really how the real thing sounds/feels?" My brain just doesn't accept the System 8 as the proper surrogate. I think I'd have the same thought regarding the Jupiter X. Or with a VST for something that I care about. It's probably like chasing goblins in my head. There is no answer. If you want a Juno or a Jupiter, you will likely never be satisfied with the System 8 or Jupiter X... The answer is likely something greater than your desires. It is probably related to mindfulness and acceptance that we can't have everything. I'm still working through these thoughts myself.0:00 Square wave comparison1:19 Pulse Width Modulation2:19 PWM via LFO (LFO rate)4:35 Saw wave comparison5:36 Saw + Sub-oscillator 5:59 Square + Saw + Sub6:13 All waves plus Chorus 17:02 All waves plus Chorus 27:24 All waves plus CH 1+28:32 Filter cutoff sweep (max resonance, min ENV Amount)9:40 Filter at specific cutoff comparison10:30 Adjustment of envelope11:03 Testing envelope snappiness with ARP14:40 Envelope release and filter characteristics15:48 Mistakenly had Juno 6 LFO set to "Manual" - disregard17:52 Filter modulation via LFO (Large modulation)22:57 Filter modulation via LFO (Minimal modulation)24:00 Filter modulation via LFO with Chorus 1
Back Unto Knives | IDM MIDERA 2022-03-30 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comTrack made using:Roland D50 (Pads)Roland SH-101 (Bass)Yamaha RS7000 (Drums)Toraiz Squid (Sequencing)
During this time | A Rhodes piano, Moog Matriarch, and Monomachine track MIDERA 2022-03-25 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comHooked up my Matriarch and Elektron Monomachine up to play with the Rhodes. The Matriarch was sequenced by the Monomachine and the Moog EP-3 was used to affect the cutoff frequency. The Monomachine was used for drums.Hologram Microcosm used for FX on the Moog Matriarch and Eventide Blackhole VST used on most parts for reverb.
Analog Keys and Korg ESX | MIDERA Live Set at 331 Club on 3/12/2022 in Minneapolis Minnesota MIDERA 2022-03-23 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comI played a live set at 331 Club in Minneapolis on March 12th, 2022. These are the tracks I prepared for the show, although maybe played slightly different than when I played it live. I would have recorded the live show - but it is too much of a hassle recording the video and audio so I decided against doing it.Added eventide blackhole VST for extra sauce.0:00 Turbulence5:24 Twenty third9:26 Face of relent17:15 Nothing going to plan23:30 Out of light28:55 Breathless
Sequential OB-6 | Voices (ambient demo) MIDERA 2022-03-11 | Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0FrpqIZZ5is2O9qaVC4DpsFind my other projects on my website:midera-artist.comSupport me and my music here:midera.bandcamp.comThis is the second half of my time with the Sequential OB-6. I believe I had to re-tune the unit and just figure a few extra things out before I could proceed. Everything I hear from this reminds me of something I could do with my Ambika. Which, honestly, would be my preferred synth of the two, although the layout of the Ambika is not quite as nice. The resonance on the OB-6 is nicer, and maybe the filter is in general. But they're fairly similar devices. A fully knobby Ambika would have been amazing. The closest thing in my mind is the Virus TI.Where was I... Oh yeah, the OB-6. Strangely - lots of people really enjoyed my first demo with the OB-6. This one was made in the same day. I only had about 2 hours with the unit from start to end, so all of this is all I get and all anyone else gets with my demos unless I randomly decide to grab one some day in the future (which seems unlikely).It's not that I don't like how all of this sounds - it just strikes me as something that is already in my studio in about 5 different ways.Here's the analogy I have. Imagine you are eating at a restaurant. The food is amazing. So you decide to try something else, it too is amazing. You keep eating and eating, the food is just incredible. Eventually - you've reached a point where even good tasting food doesn't seem appetizing. You're satiated, or perhaps, over-satiated. Stuffed. The food looks good, or perhaps by this point, it doesn't even look good now.That is me and my equipment. I am stuffed. No more can come in unless multiple things go out. In my satiated state - the OB-6 did not represent anything I needed. That's just the unfortunate reality.Perhaps you are not satiated, and everything you heard here was magic (don't for a second think that I believe anything I do is magic) - then perhaps you will find yourself with an OB-6 sooner than later, and I'm happy to have helped you along on that journey.
