One important reason to why the 80s (and a part of the 90s) sounded like it did, was the presets on synthesizers like the Yamaha DX7 and Roland D-50. Basically, as synthesizers became more and more difficult to program, musicians turned to presets instead of making their own sounds, like people did on the older analog synths.

The result was that a lot of the music in the 80s sounded pretty much alike. I’m not saying that it was bad music, since the 80s was awesome, but I guess everyone can agree that the DX7, for example, was a bit over-used.

But then came the 90s, and a reaction against the ”one button and a tiny LCD screen” trend. One of the best, earliest and probably BIGGEST example of this was the Roland JD-800, which was released in 1991. A huge synth with a huge amount of sliders. And later came the Yamaha CS-1x, Yamaha AN-1x, Roland JP-8000 etc. Everybody had knobs and sliders again, and the neo-tweaking could begin.

What I felt when knobs came back bigtime in the late 90s was ”I’m never gonna degrade myself by using a preset ever again”. So I, like the rest of the world, started making analog filter sweeps 24/7, and I loved it.

But in the last couple of years, I have started to like presets again, and when I buy an old synth from the 80’s or 90s, it is its presets I choose by. One of the things I like best is to listen to the tons of presets on the excellent www.synthmania.com, and then decide what synth I’m gonna go hunt for.

Actually, nowadays, I feel that it is a kind of an obligation to use presets as much as I can. That way, I feel that the synth ITSELF plays a bigger role in the music I make. And the Japanese engineer who programmed the preset, of course. When I’m using my Korg Wavestation for example, I never change a preset, even if it’s pretty easy to do it with editing software. 

20 years from now, when people listen to today’s electronica and its self-tweaked sounds, will they be able to hear what synth was used, or will they say ”probably some VA synth or one of those millions of VST synths those idiots used back then”?

Some presets the world will never forget (from the AWESOME synthmania.com)

E.Piano 1 (Yamaha DX7)

Digital Native Dance (Roland D-50)

Soundtrack (Roland D-50)

Organ2 (THE house-bass from Korg M1)

Pizza Hutt (The Roland JD-800 also had some famous presets, despite its sliders)

2 questions : Do you agree with me on this and whats your all time favourite synth presets?

In this clip youtube user Phono1337 compares the Roland TB-303 and the Adafruit x0xb0x. Very similar gear, that sound pretty much the same. There are some differences though. Great demo!

I hope you have your flame resistant suits on because here we have it, the definitive Roland TB-303 vs Adafruit x0xb0x shootout. more info HERE

What would be your choice, the Roland TB-303 or the Adafruit x0xb0x? Comments more than welcome.

Please forward or tweet this if you know any TB-303 or x0xb0x fans.

Harlem Nights Music is back with his cool retro creations. Previously I have posted about his Hip Hop Beats made with a Roland Juno 106 and Korg Electribe. This time its also an 80's tribute based on the Roland CR78 drum machine. Great work, keep it up!

"Tributing the early 80s classics again, this time a softer side, based on the Roland CR78 drummachine, which was used in many of my all time favourite New Wave tracks. Drum sounds were sampled and patterns rebuilt in the Korg Electribe ESX, with additional Linndrum sounds where in the original tracks acoustic drumkits were added. All synth and bass sounds are from my Roland Juno 106 (1984) and Juno 60 (1982) synths, trying to emulate the Prophets and other synths used in the original tracks. Additional fx by Boss SE50.All recreated by ear. None of the original tracks were sampled.- Daryl Hall & John Oates - I can't go for that- Gary Numan - Remind me to Smile- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) - Enola Gay- Soft Cell - Tainted Love- Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight- Roxy Music - Jealous Guy- Blondie - Atomic"

Harlem Nights on Myspace

This is the MK-101, a customized MicroKorg inspired by the Roland SH-101. Its demoed in this clip by Polaroids Of The Pyramids. The work has been performed by Custom Synth and looks awsome!

Some nice  oldschool hip hop I stumbled upon. Great work by Harlem Nights Music using a Korg Electribe and a Roland Juno 106. No samplings from records, impressive!

"Tribute for all ya homeboyz... This time some classic hip hop beats, recreated on my Korg Electribe using Oberheim DMX and DX sounds. As always, no actual records were sampled. All recreated by ear.The scratch fx were done by stacking some sounds and adding heavy pitch modulation over it, with the ESX ribbon and slider controlling gate and pitch. All synth and bass parts were made on a Roland Juno 106 synthesizer (1984). Again all film shot wile actual recording. Tracklist:* The Show - Doug E Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew* Walk this Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith(snare: EMU Drumulator, guitar distortion: Roland SE50)* The Message - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five* Change le Beat - Fab 5 Freddy* Mr. Big Stuff - Heavy D & the Boyz* Say what you wanna say - Lovebug Starski* Children's Story - Slick Rick* No sell out - Malcolm X & Keith LeBlanc* Sucker MC - Run DMC* One for the Treble - Davy DMX* Rock it - Herbie Hancock* White Lines - Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel"

This is quite impressive. The theme Vangelis made for Bladerunner with his Yamaha CS-80 is here played on a vintage Roland Juno 60. All the sounds you hear in the clip is from a Juno 60.

In this clip from the Johnny Carson show, american comedian/musician Jim Stafford plays the Roland G-707 guitar synth, although he presents it as "the US Army M16 assault guitar". And he chooses to play the Beverly Hills Cop theme. Surprising that it got airtime! But I guess it was different back then, when guitar synths was on the frontier of technology, and not something that practically everybody has at home by the dozen. But actually, I preffer this over many of the things you see on television today.

Youtube via OfficialJimStafford

This guy, Uwe Steger, really knows how to work that bellow. Bellow? Is that the right word?

Delightfully strange

Youtube via oove99

I recently started using my Roland Alpha Juno 1 again. Or "again", I really haven't used it since I bought it 8 years ago, since I was dissapointed with its sound compared to my Roland Juno 106. But now I really liked it! It is not as warm and fuzzy as the Juno 106, more sterile and clean sounding sort of. And I like sterile sounds! And it feels like it's a bit easier to fit the Alpha in a mix with Analog Modelling synths, since Analog Modelling synths rarely are as fat sounding as real analogs.

Overall, give the Alpha Juno a chance if that analog "oompf!" is not that important to you. And it's cheap too!

Read more about it at vintagesynth.com

Have you seen the amount of people playing Van Halen’s ”Jump” on Youtube?? It’s like there’s some competition to recreate a very boring synth sound in a very boring song by a boring band. And the most chocking thing of all – people are impressed! If you want to show off on Youtube, can’t you do it in style?

But if you don’t like what I’m writing, here’s an instruction video on how to be the lamest person on Earth.

Below, on the other hand, is how showing off synth skills should be done:

(edit: listen to more of the great Alesis Micron guy at www.myspace.com/dorianconcept)