NEW

Presents

ELECTRONIC

MUSIC
MASTERCLASS
THE HISTORY, GEAR,
PIONEERS AND
TECHNIQUES
Edition
Digital

STEP-BY-STEP THE GEAR ALL YOU

TUTORIALS IN DETAIL NEED
EDM | AMBIENT | SYNTH POP CLASSIC HARDWARE, 93 FREE PLUGIN SYNTHS
SECOND
EDITION

DRUM N BASS | TRANCE CUTTING-EDGE AND EFFECTS TO MAKE

SYNTHWAVE | TECHNO SOFTWARE ELECTRONIC MUSIC
 welcome / <

Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA

Bookazine Editorial
Editor Andy Jones
Designer Mark White
Compiled by Philippa Grafton & Steve Dacombe
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
Editorial Director Jon White
Computer Music Editorial
Editor Andy Jones
Art Editor Mark White
Content Director Scott Rowley
Head Of Design Brad Merrett
Contributors
Scot Solida, Leon Bailey, Danny Scott, Greg Scarth and Mike Beecher
elcome to the Music Producer’s Guide to Electronic, your

W
Cover images
Getty Images
Photography
guide to five decades of Electronic Music, where we speak to
Getty Images
All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected
the pioneers, examine the history and look in detail at many
Advertising of the production techniques used within this most
Media packs are available on request
Commercial Director Clare Dove incredible of musical genres.
International
Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw
Electronic Music is a vast subject to cover whichever way you look at it,
licensing@futurenet.com
www.futurecontenthub.com so we’ve taken the logical approach to bring you the highlights, detail and
Circulation
Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers
the techniques in chronological order: from 70s synth sequences right up
Production to huge, 21st century basslines. However, the history of the genre goes back
Head of Production Mark Constance
Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton many hundreds of years, which we attempt to encapsulate in a feature
Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby
Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson starting on p8.
Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely,
Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman As we’ll see, Electronic Music’s journey has been as varied and
Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road,
Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT fascinating as the technology behind it; indeed the music and the
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www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001
technology have influenced one another so much that you can’t really talk
The Music Producer’s Guide to Electronic: Second Edition (MUB4325) about one without the other, so expect us to delve deeply into the rich,
© 2022 Future Publishing Limited

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, technical side of music production as we traverse its history. We are
certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced
and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and
socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation.
focussing on the synthesizers behind the sound and detail these machines,
All contents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. from analogue modular monsters to sleek cutting-edge software. And don’t
No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without
the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number
2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury,
worry if you are not equipped with the latest music production gear, as we
Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far
as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility are giving you many of the software tools you need, free with this guide.
for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and
retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps See p6 for more details.
and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for
their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent
and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Of course Electronic Music isn’t really about one musical genre but
many (many) varied sub genres. You could sum it up as music produced by
technology, yet even that definition covers a multitude of styles and bpms,
so we have several step-by-step workshops to help your music production
skills progress within ten genres spanning 50 years: from ambient to
Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne
bassline, synth pop to synthwave.
company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford
London Stock Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand Finally we’ll guide you through some of the classic electronic sounds
(symbol: FUTR)
www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244
from the last five decades, showing you how to recreate a Kraftwerk blip
here or a Daft Punk growl there, and all with the software we give you for
Part of the
free.
Really, as this guide demonstrates, all music is now electronic in some
way, shape or form, so Electronic Music is really what you make it; the focus,
therefore, is on your music productions, in whatever style you choose. But
bookazine series we hope you enjoy reading about some of the cutting-edge producers and
techniques used by those who have gone before you, and look forward to
hearing your productions add to the rich history of Electronic Music
production.
Keep tweaking.

Andy Jones
 Presents

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO

ELECTRONIC
Over the last five decades, Electronic Music has grown
from experimental valve tones, to a computer-generated
global musical force. Here we trace its progress over
those decades, talk to its innovators, and reveal how you
can recreate some of the most famous genres and
sounds in a rich history you can explore from page 8.

CONTENTS The 1970s

18 Make Electronic Music Now:
70s Electronic
22 Interview: Jean-Michel Jarre
28 Make Electronic Music Now:
Ambient
36 Classic interview: Kraftwerk’s
Ralf Hütter
RECREATE FAMOUS 70S
SYNTH SOUNDS
27 Jean-Michel Jarre
32 Brian Eno/Tangerine Dream
33 Pink Floyd
34 Donna Summer
32 35 Kraftwerk
4 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC
 contents <

The 1990s
72 Make Electronic
Music Now:
House
76 Interview:
Roni Size
82 Make Electronic
Music Now:
40 68 Techno
86 Make Electronic
Music Now:
Trance
91 Make Electronic
Music Now:
Drum n bass
RECREATE FAMOUS
90S SYNTH SOUNDS
52 69 80 Prodigy & Daft Punk
81 Underworld &
Faithless
The 1980s
40 Interview: 59 Talk Talk/Kraftwerk
Vince Clarke 64 Prince & The 2000s
48 Make Electronic Michael Jackson
Music Now: 65 Orbital & Europe 96 Make Electronic
Synth Pop Music Now:
66 Eurythmics EDM
52 Interview: 67 a-ha
Gary Numan 100 Interview:
68 New Order Jon Hopkins
60 Make Electronic
69 Pet Shop Boys 106 Make Electronic
Music Now:
Industrial 70 Vangelis Music Now:
Bassline
RECREATE FAMOUS 112 Make Electronic
80S SYNTH SOUNDS
Music Now:
46 Soft Cell & Synthwave
Depeche Mode
47 Yazoo & Vangelis
57 Visage &
The gear
Gary Numan 110 Best ever
58 Ultravox & software synths
The Human League 117 117 Classic hardware
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 5
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO
ELECTRONIC
Presents

How to use
this guide
Your step-by-step guide on how
to make the most of this Music
Producer’s Guide To Electronic,
detailing all the online videos,
software and tutorial files that
accompany each of our
workshops, for a completely This icon means there are extra files There’s extra video

interactive learning experience! TUTORIAL to help you follow a tutorial feature:

FILES project files, audio examples, etc.
content wherever you
see this icon.

Welcome to the Music Producer’s Guide

To Electronic. As well as detailing the
history of Electronic Music and chatting to
Using Filesilo
some of the pioneers within its many and
varied genres, we also have step-by-step
workshops for creating music within specific
genres and recreating famous synth sounds.
In order to get the best from each of these
tutorials, we have produced sets of sound files
and instruction videos to go with them. You can
hear how your music is supposed to progress
as you make your way through each workshop,
and, if you run into trouble, see what you need
to do on video.
We have also included the Computer Music
Plugin Suite, a set of over 90 instruments and
effects that you can download and install for Create an account with your email and Go to the Bookazines tab at the main
free, many of which you will need to install and
run to use the workshops in this guide.
In order to access all of this additional
1 custom password at filesilo.co.uk.
2 FileSilo screen. Click this and you will see
a list of recent bookazines we have produced
including The Music Producer’s Guide To
Electronic. Click this – it will have the same
content, please go to filesilo.co.uk and create
image as the cover of this bookazine.
an account there to download it. Once you have
logged in, you will be presented with all of this
content, feature by feature, in the Tutorials area.
We have an easy, step-by-step guide to using
FileSilo on the right.
The CM Plugin Suite is in the Software
section and comprises instruments and effects
for Mac or PC. Simply download the software
plugins for whichever type of computer
platform you use. More detailed instructions on
how to install these instruments and effects are
included in our step-by-step guide to using The
CM Plugin Suite on the opposite page. There’s
also a PDF giving more information on each
Answer a simple question related to the Now simply go to the feature name – like

3 4
plugin in the Software section at FileSilo.
content of this bookazine and you will be Make A 70s Synth Track, Recreate 90s
We hope you’ll enjoy creating music in the taken to all the feature content. You only need Synth Sounds and so on – and you will
ten Electronic Music genre tutorials we have to answer this question once – next time you download all of the files associated with that
included, and also recreating the many classic log in, all of this content will be visible. feature. These include hands-on videos,
synth sounds using your free plugins! audio files (so you can hear how the sound or
song progresses) and samples that you can
load in to help you produce within a genre.

6 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

Installing plugins from the CM Plugin Suite

Go to the software section at FileSilo Download the plugin instruments and Double click on the plugin you want to

1 under the Bookazines tab/Music

Producer’s Guide To Electronic. 2 effects for whatever computer you use,
either Mac or PC. 3 install. Your computer should run
through the standard software
installation routine.

The Computer
Music Plugin Suite
is a set of over 90
instruments and
effects that you
In order to try out our genre tutorials you When you load up your DAW, it should

4 will need a DAW like Apple Logic or

Ableton Live. There’s a great free one called
Traction Waveform Free at tracktion.com.
Now open your DAW.
5 pick up the new plugins you have
installed. If not, you might have to restart
your computer. Now, install the plugin
from your DAW plugin folder onto whatever
can download and
install for free!
mixer channel you want to use and you are
ready to try our tutorials!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 7

> electronic music / history

THE HISTORY OF
ELECTRONIC
MUSIC

8 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 history / electronic music <

From found sound and valve-based

machines through to EDM and iPad
synths, Electronic Music’s journey has
been incredible, complicated and
perhaps a lot longer than you might
think. Here we break down its history
into component parts – ironically, rather
like a modular synth – and discover its
rather ‘shocking’ beginnings…

What is Electronic Music and what is its century and Matthias Hipp’s Electromechanic Piano,
history? Well, the answers to both of these which triggered sound by way of activating electric
questions are open to interpretation. The magnets with a keyboard. Even better records exist
popular and somewhat easy view is that Electronic about the Telharmonium, developed at the same time
Music is synthetic or ‘found’ sound and that it started by Thaddeus Cahill, an instrument not only capable of
with the invention of the synthesiser and its use in altering or indeed synthesising sound, but spreading it
the 60s and 70s. As much as we were tempted to across the newly-created phone network. (This
start its history there, Electronic Music’s inception instrument can therefore not only claim to be the first
can really be traced back further. Much further. In synthesiser but also one to use an early form of the
fact, you can track the early experimentation with internet. Ok, maybe not.)
sound, and the machines that were invented to Meanwhile, in the late 19th century, Elisha Gray is also
manipulate it, back hundreds of years. Ok, the fun noted as (almost) accidentally inventing the synth
really started when people started recording and oscillator while developing a telephone prototype in the
releasing the results a few decades back – not to late 19th century. But if you think it’s a complex history
mention making accurate records of the machines in this era, just wait until the next century…
that they created – but before we get to the 60s,
there’s a couple of hundred years to cover (albeit 20th Century vision
briefly), including some claims to discuss, some to Things get even more complex in the early 20th century,
dismiss and some others that are just, well, with a range of instruments that could and would lay
shocking… in all the wrong ways. claim to chunks of Electronic Music history, not least the
electric organ and another couple of standout devices,
The start? notably the Helmholtz Sound Synthesiser and Theremin
Taking things way back, you can make the case that the (see over the page). The Sound Synthesiser was not only
beautiful-sounding Golden Dionysis was very possibly the first instrument to claim the ‘synth’ name, but used
the first electrical musical instrument. It was ‘built’ by overtones and even basic filtering in the creation of
the Czech electrical researcher Václav Prokop Diviš in sounds – some of the important sonic ingredients still
1748, who claimed to be able to recreate string and wind used today. So now we seem to have finally arrived at
sounds with it. You’ll note that we say ‘claimed’ and ‘very the dawn of Electronic Music as the artificial
possibly’ as other accounts of the time state that it gave manipulation of sound – arguably the very definition of
its users electric shocks, so, like we say, it might be the genre – becomes a reality.
better to move to firmer historic ground, over a century As we progressed through the century, there was Ivor
later when, at the very least, some of the claims were Darreg who, in the 1930s and 40s, designed instruments
justified and recorded. called the Electronic Keyboard Oboe and Electric
For this, we travel forward to the end of the late 19th Keyboard Drum, which could lay claim to being the first

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 9

> electronic music / history

electric instruments specifically intended for

music. And as we dig deeper, other important
instruments included the 1930s Trautonium,
Professor Leon Theremin
demonstrating the
The Theremin
made by Freidrich Trautwein, and then machine he gave his name The 1920s Theremin is a unique device
enhanced into the post-Second World War in electronic music making, not so
Mixturtrautonium by Oskar Sala. Using what much used to create sounds, but
was called a ‘Sub-harmonic’ technique of sound perform them. Ok, its eerie tone is a
creation, these allowed you to mix, match and bit of a one-off, but it has claimed its
modulate signals with controls like envelope part in music history – particularly in
shapers and frequency shifters which would early sci-fi and Beach Boys tunes –
later become common in subtractive synths. largely down to this rather
In the 1950s RCA and Musique Concrète (see atmospheric tone and the way it is
below) helped take Electronic Music in new produced. A performer can alter the
directions and not always intentionally. Musique pitch and volume of the sound merely
Concrète created genres of music unwittingly, by moving their hand up and down
and RCA built a room full of electrics for fairly and further away from the device. The
dodgy reasons but in doing so, eventually came story behind its invention and
up with something called the Electronic Music popularity is like something out of a
Synthesizer Mk1. This ended up being almost film, and deserves its own book. As
sequencer-like in its ability – you could define fascinating as it is, though, this story
note timbre, volumes, envelopes and so on – but runs on a different course to that of
was actually intended to produce a formula for the synth (almost, in fact, in a parallel
hit records, a kind of Stock Aitken And dimension), although, like the synth,
Waterman of its time. you can now create the sound of the
Luckily, this initial ‘auto-hit song creation’ Theremin in software and there are
concept was dropped, but the idea of creating also up-to-date hardware versions,
sound electronically was leapt upon and a Mk2 notably the Moog Theremini.

Getty
version was developed at the Columbia-
Princeton Electronic Music Center, and was used
to help create music like Charles Wuorinen’s
Time’s Encomium, which eventually won the
Pulitzer Prize for music. The concept of Electronic music might well have been in its must take the major credits here, and for the
electronic sound synthesis was finally here, but infancy in the 60s, then, but it was just about to early Electronic Music outings, and be lauded
it would take two men, Don Buchla and Robert become mainstream, with a smattering of as the godfathers of the modern synthesiser
Moog – who are now seen as the inventors of the popular composers and one or two choice new and the genre itself. In the 1960s they both
synthesiser and the genres of music it spawned synthesizer instruments. separately developed voltage-controlled
– plus further advances in electronics to finally It was Don Buchla and Robert Moog who modular synth systems that, while still
bring it to the masses. expensive, did manage to come within reach of
some of the big musical names of the time. The
To the music – the 60s!
In the 1960s, music was still very much about
No longer did you Beatles, Frank Zappa and The Beach Boys all
dabbled with early synthesisers, although
electric guitars and rock n roll. On the more
electronic side, the output was initially limited to require a room to perhaps the first pure and total electronic piece
– an entire album’s worth, actually – came by
the experimental musings of Musique Concrète way of Wendy Carlos, whose Switched-On Bach
artists and the RCA Synthesizer, but electronic house a super recreated pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach by
components were starting to become smaller way of one of Bob Moog’s modular synths. Now,
and much more affordable, so no longer did you
require an RCA-sized room to house a
computer capable of we really were starting to rock the circuits.
In the late 60s, other artists were waking up
supercomputer capable of creating and
manipulating sound.
creating sound… to the idea of Moogs and Buchlas. Kraftwerk’s
first lineup, known as Organisation, and other

Musique Concrète
The concept of Musique Concrète is an also use principles of chance in composition, early albums like On Land, leading to the
important one in the history of Electronic something also adopted by the likes of John term ‘ambient music’, which while having its
Music production, not least because it got Cage (who also famously flipped the whole roots very much in found sounds and
people thinking and composing along very experimental Musique Concrète philosophy atmospheres on these early albums, would
different paths compared to using traditional on its head – or foundations – by releasing a eventually drift rather calmly and beautifully
notes, timbres and scales. Initially recording of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of to create sub genres of chilled Electronic
popularised by Pierre Schaeffer in the mid silence. Well, why not?). Music of its own.
20th century, whose work would lead to the Musique Concrète would eventually On top of its musical influences, you can
formation of the Groupe de Recherches de embrace technology and be inspired by it, even argue that Musique Concrète goes
Musique Concrète and Groupe de and its influence would seep into popular much deeper, influencing much of the actual
Recherches Musicales, it would attract the music by way of Frank Zappa, The Beatles music technology that has sprung up since
likes of Pierre Boulez, Pierre Henry, and Pink Floyd, with the chance element also the 70s – many of the synthesis, DSP and
Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis to famously adopted and adapted by Brian Eno sampling techniques owe a much bigger
compose works using found sound and a with his Oblique Strategies approach to debt to the philosophy of Musique Concrète
more constructive approach to music composition. Eno would go on to also take and its no-holds-barred approach to sound
creation. Stockhausen and Boulez would the Concrete philosophy into some of his manipulation and processing.

10 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 history / electronic music <

Getty
Great Scott
Raymond Scott has been described as
the ‘audio version of Andy Warhol’ yet
has largely remained behind the scenes
of Electronic Music history. He was a
composer and technologist, and while
he had his music licensed in cartoons,
films and musicals, it’s perhaps his
electronic research that is his biggest
legacy. He was one of the first people to
come up with the idea of sequencing
Wendy Carlos was one of the first notes together, with a machine capable
composers to embrace the Moog of producing tones. He invented the
Getty

Electronium during the 60s, a device

shrouded in mystery, but it was a
combined synth and generative music
producer – perhaps the first workstation,
but almost certainly one of the first
German pre-Kraut Rock bands, were enjoying perhaps too long – solos with them. keyboard synths.
a more psychedelic phase but were now Wendy Carlos was maintaining the more Scott and Bob Moog also worked
among the first people to adopt Moogs and classic side of Electronic Music with the together and the latter – now widely
would change the course of music history as theme to the notorious 1971 Kubrick film A regarded as a godfather of Electronic
we shifted into the 1970s. Clockwork Orange, but in 1974, Kraftwerk Music – cited Scott as one of his
finally got their synths together to come up greatest influences. Google recently
Progress to pop with one of the defining tracks, nee albums, launched an excellent guide to
Both in the UK and the States, rock was of the genre. Autobahn was its name and the Electronic Music that gives Scott the
taking a more progressive turn and soon title track was different on so many levels. It rich space he undoubtedly deserves
keyboard players like Keith Emerson, Rick was almost entirely electronic – bar the odd in its history. Check it out at
Wakeman and Geoff Downs became early flute and guitar – it also used vocoding, artsandculture.google.com/project/
adopters of synths, although rather than electronic percussion and, of course, synths, music-makers-and-machines
create new electronic sounds, they preferred not to mention that it was over 22 minutes
to emulate existing ones and play long – long. Perhaps only Electronic Music as a

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 11

> electronic music / history

Getty
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre must have felt pretty
alone in the 70s. While Emerson,
Wakeman and Downs were playing
synthesisers like be-cloaked keyboard
wizards, and the League and Cabs were
exploring the machines’ innards like
scientists, Jarre just wanted to create
Icons of Prog Rock and Electronic Music:
Keith Emerson wrestles with a Moog pure synth music, with lush melodies,
Modular synth chords and memorable tunes; nothing
too experimental, but nothing too
Getty

noodly. He wanted to use early

sequencing, and he wanted to be
popular without the pop, and with the
album Oxygene, he certainly got what he
musical genre could be heralded in with a by a cold dystopian version of the band that wished for.
covers album of Bach songs and a tune about a would later rule the pop charts in the 80s, but This masterpiece recording, and the
motorway, but as a musical force, it was here whose late 70s influence would certainly reach Oxygene single (part IV), were his
and it was here to stay. other artists, if not so much the record-buying introduction into the big league.
public. The Cabs, meanwhile, were Sheffield’s Recorded with, among other classics, a
Born in the UK punk electronic act, putting the steel in Sheffield VCS3, ARP 2600, Eminent 310 and Korg
As the 70s progressed, the UK started to play an and, along with Clock DVA, are now seen as not Mini Pops in Jarre’s kitchen(!) it stands
increasingly important role in the development only influential but laying the groundwork for up as one of the defining albums in
of Electronic Music. Kraftwerk had laid down the major electronic labels that would come later, Electronic Music, yet really exists in a
gauntlet in Germany, for sure, but Brian Eno was including Sheffield’s own mighty Warp Records. sole category marked ‘Jarre’. There’s
already sneering at his fellow progressive rock The Mk1 version of Ultravox! (note the Vangelis’ and Wendy Carlos’
keyboardists, experimenting with synths and exclamation mark) were also early adopters of soundtracks, yes, and there’s popular
creating found-sound textures in the studio. He the synth in the 70s, notably an ARP Odyssey, synth music, but then there’s the
was whacky, glam, serious and ‘out there’, and one of the classic machines of that decade. This enigmatic French composer stuck
he would take Roxy Music into the charts, Bowie John Foxx-led brigade of art-house students somewhere in between. Or, indeed,
down oblique and electronic pathways with his shifted from Roxy glam to rock electronica over everywhere else.
Berlin trio of albums, and invent ambient music the space of three albums and a short space of He now straddles soundtracks and
as we know it, and all in the space of just a few time, but it was long enough not only to propel EDM (see his much later collaborations),
years in this decade. Foxx into a solo career that would produce one he still has hit records, he can play to
Meanwhile, a little-known fact in Electronic of the finest pure electronic albums of all time millions of people in ridiculously
Music history is that part of its major (Metamatic) but also influence a certain Gary huge open-air concerts. He uses a ‘laser
development in the 70s was not because of the Webb. And it was this young man who, at the harp’ ferchristsake!
advances in synth technology nor the end of the decade, would take Electronic Music Yes Jarre, with his adoption of every
outlandish creativity of its players, but actually out of the theatre workshop, and onto the technology, old, new and possibly not
down to the formation of a youth workshop in theatre stage. even invented, and his ability to dabble
Sheffield called Meatwhistle. Here, not one but in just about every electronic genre is,
four influential bands (eventually) came It’s popular! very probably, the ultimate electronic
together. Local Sheffield youths with a more Gary, now Numan, was a punk rocker in his musician. He is out of place in time, both
creative vision were encouraged in just about formative years, but in easily a moment that is physically and musically – possibly even
every aspect of music and performance, up there in Electronic Music history with the very first human synthesiser, we
inspiring one another and resulting in – to a Kraftwerk driving on a motorway for the first don’t know – but he certainly deserves
greater or lesser extent – the formation of Clock time, he went into a studio one day to record a his own chapter (or at the very least, this
DVA, Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League and punk guitar album, found a Moog synth already box for now) in the history of Electronic
Heaven 17. switched on, pressed a note and was so moved Music. Actually all music, come to that. A
The first two early League albums are now that he ditched all the guitars on his next album true Electronic Music legend.
seen as two electronic masterpieces, produced and replaced them with synths. Which, as they

12 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 history / electronic music <

say, was nice. After he released the track Are Yet while we can blame Numan, the League,
‘Friends’ Electric? we suddenly had synth pop as
a genre, with everyone shocked into action – not
Until then, music that OMD, Clarke, Foxx and Jarre for bringing the
sound of the synthesiser to the masses, we
least Numan himself – by this new force in
music. Up until then, music that used
used synthesisers was should also give some credit to the
manufacturers of the machines, for if it hadn’t
synthesisers was novel (see Hot Butter’s Pop been for the dramatic reduction in gear pricing
Corn), soundtrack-y (see Wendy Carlos), novel novel, soundtrack-y or over the late 70s and 80s, this decade of synth
and soundtrack-y (see Jean-Michel Jarre box) or pop would not have been.
Kraftwerk (see Kraftwerk). Now it was popular,
very popular, and now it was British. Mostly. It
Kraftwerk. Now it was The big three Japanese players of Roland,
Yamaha and Korg moved in to steal some of the
had catchy melodies, it had vocals, it had songs.
It was pop. Synth pop!
pop. Synth pop! thunder from the mostly American players like
Sequential, Oberheim, Moog and ARP; their
machines rocked at rock-bottom prices, simple
The pop years In those four decades, he managed to form as that. Synths from the Roland Juno and
Numan’s bowling ball of a synth song Are Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure, and Jupiter, Korg MS, Mono and Poly ranges all made
‘Friends’ Electric? would usher in the decade of managed to have the odd hit record with all their mark, but it was Yamaha’s CS-80 that
synth pop, but while he took the glory, three of them. Vince is probably the most iconic became the first synth to define a soundtrack or
other synth bands were spitting blood. writer of synth pop we will ever know (Just Can’t two. Built in the 70s, yes, this synth was utilised
Liverpool’s OMD were already producing Get Enough, Love To Hate You, Sometimes and more by Greek composer Vangelis than any
amazing synth tunes, using crappy, cheap Only You earn him that accolade alone), yet is other synth user and helped a film about
keyboards and a drum machine called Winston. also the most unassuming. running – Chariots of Fire – through the home
As jealous of Numan as they have admitted they And after launching the good ship Depeche stretch but, more importantly (if you are geeks
were, his success opened the door to a string of Mode, he slipped across the gangplank before like us), soundtrack an era- and genre-defining
hit singles for them and many others, and they, its voyage really began, leaving the captaincy sci-fi film. Blade Runner took many years to fulfil
in turn, influenced another Electronic Music (ok, we’ll leave that analogy now) to Martin Gore. its destiny, and through many different versions,
icon, who deserves not one, but possibly three And where Vince can claim the top pop honours, but they all shared Vangelis’ incredibly
chapters in EM history. Gore can certainly claim the, well, gore. His more mesmerising soundtrack, which would not have
Vince Clarke would hear early OMD B-Sides doom-laden, yet massively uplifting blend of been possible without this monster polysynth
and realize that synths were the way to go for songwriting has kept Depeche on top of the from Yamaha.
his formative compositions, and 40 years on, world for four decades now. Is there an As popular as Vangelis’ work was, it wasn’t
he’s still amassing the machines to make them. electronic band more successful? really the pop that made synth pop though, and

Depeche Mode with Vince Clarke

and Martin Gore, two of the most
successful songwriters of all time
Getty

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 13

> electronic music / history

for that we can thank everyone from

Blancmange to Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics to
the Human League Mk2, a-ha to Soft Cell,
It would take an entirely different set of
Buggles to New Order and many (many) more.
Synth pop was massive, but only really for a
circumstances to bring Electronic Music back
relatively short time before the technology
changed the sound and people’s tastes moved to the fore, and it would be an all-new version
away from its lush analogue roots towards a
more digital sheen.
Synth pop lost the analogue lustre and the As do instruments like the Roland TB-303 Orbital, Prodigy, Leftfield and Massive Attack –
80s gave way to pomp, rock, SAW and dark Bass Line and TR-808 and 909 drum machines. but of the vast majority of DIY producers, of
times. Yes, the all-new digital synths, again from Roland didn’t make these instruments for dance, which there were thousands producing music
the big players, sold by the million – Korg’s M1, it must be stressed – the 303 came out well relatively cheaply, most were faceless and
Yamaha’s DX7 and Roland’s D-50 shifted record before dance in 1983, designed as a bass disappeared as quickly as it took to produce a
numbers – but they were largely used to accompaniment machine – but the artists track, press and sell 1,000 white labels.
replicate ‘real’ sounds rather than those of above, and so many more, found these cheap, There were pointless debates over which was
Electronic Music’s analogue heyday. It would second-hand drum machines and synthesisers best – we’re jungle purists and hate the newer
take an entirely different set of circumstances to and abused them into a new and world-defining drum n bass, obviously – and eventually dance
bring Electronic Music back to the fore. And it genre (and many, many sub genres). music would have to evolve, and some would
would be an all-new version, and vision… The electronic beats and squeals provided by say dissolve into something altogether new. It
the Roland gear were a unique joint force that shifted uncomfortably under its own weight –
Electronic Dance Music swept all before it. Bands like New Order and Pet and of course, the money being made. Superstar
It’s a phrase that is now looked upon with horror Shop Boys bought dance sounds from the States DJs were born and lived in private jets and to
in some dance music circles, but the original to Europe and the mainstream and combined this day, they raise their hands and tweak a
‘electronic dance music’, those oft-illegal with – it must also be noted – the drugs of the volume knob in front of tens of thousands… and
repetitive beats that started off in the mid-to-late time, helped dance music spread from the cash the cheque.
80s, were the saviour of the electronic sound. suburbs of the US cities to Ibiza, Manchester, The big sell, ironically, was selling Electronic
Like many movements in music and culture, and Sheffield, London, Berlin and beyond. The 90s Music back to the States so ‘Electronica’ and
indeed like our history of the Electronic Music became the decade that started a million new ‘EDM’ became the new catch-all phrases. The
machines above, there are many wild stories as dance genres, not to mention a million often new stars were the likes of David Guetta, Skrillex,
to its origins, but you can safely say that, while unlikely producers. Calvin Harris, Tiësto and deadmau5. The sound
Kraftwerk had some involvement, dance music’s became massive, full of dubstep wobbles and
origins – like rock n roll before it – were most Faceless techno bassline, well, bass. And the synths became
definitely black and US-based. New York Disco, In a slight variation of the classic phrase, ‘if you harder… and softer. The appropriately-named
Chicago House, hip hop and Detroit techno were can remember the 60s, you weren’t there’, it Massive, along with Serum, became the most
the catch-all labels and artists like Afrika could be said that ‘if you kept abreast of all the widely used synths in EM production, both
Bambaataa (hip hop), Frankie Knuckles, Farley dance genres that the 90s and 2000s produced, made in software, but both as big-sounding as
‘Jackmaster’ Funk, DJ Jesse Saunders and you are probably dead’. By bpm, dance music anything made with real electronic components.
Marshall Jefferson (house), Phuture and Sleezy went from dub to drum n bass, trip hop to happy
D (Acid house), Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin hardcore. Nothing was out of bounds, the more So where are we now?
Saunderson (techno) and many more all outrageous or faster the bpm the better. There The 21st century hasn’t all been about big basses
deserve mighty pedestals. were stars and mainstream hits – stand up and EDM – as we explain in our Amazing 21st

Roland didn’t build the machines to

make dance music but they ended up
scoring a revolution anyway

14 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 history / electronic music <

Amazing 90s Electronic Music

The 90s was great for electronic dance music, of
course, but there was also another movement of
down-tempo trip hop that might not have always
been as electronic in nature – samples came from
everywhere – but its DIY ethos certainly took it
cues from electronica. As well as the more obvious
protagonists – check out anything from Massive
Attack – you can find amazing productions by
artists including DJ Shadow, Air, Bjork, Howie B,
Laika, Lamb and many more.
On a more electronic tip, pretty much anything
by Underworld, Orbital, Pentatonik, Plaid, Moby,
The Chemical Brothers and LFO from this decade
is worth tracking down, and Aphex Twin was in his
most prolific mood, redefining ambient, jungle and
anything in between. We’ve also mentioned Warp
Records – just check out their Artificial Intelligence
compilation that features everyone from Autechre Aphex Twin is just one of the names
to The Orb’s Alex Patterson for a beautiful slice of Richard James uses in a somewhat
Getty

prolific career

90s underground life.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 15
> electronic music / history

Century Electronic Music box – but keeping

abreast of any music now, especially within a
genre so wide as Electronic Music, is both
hopeless and massively hopeful; there is both
too much and something for everyone. You can,
Amazing 21st Century Electronic Music
should you wish, track down any genre – from Our history concentrates on some of the Then are also many acts that have
electronic goth rock to ambient dub n bass, main directions that Electronic Music took rejoined the dots and bought the
chiptune techno to modular synth pop – on any this century like dance music and EDM, electronic sound up to date while
of the many streaming services out there (ok, but many other artists also deserve a unashamedly nodding to its past. Will
we haven’t tried those, but you get the point). mention and there are, of course, many Gregory and Goldfrapp certainly helped
Electronic Music is now used everywhere: from more underground acts to search for. bring back the ‘analogue’ in synth, LCD
slabs of pure pop joy (The Weeknd anyone?) to And Electronic Music in this century Soundsystem and Daft Punk took
searing soundtracks, from retro themes really does, as you might expect, cover elements of everything electronic and
(Stranger Things, obv) to experimental every spectrum of music, from the more simply made them cool, while Ulrich
soundscapes in video games, and from post- pop leanings of The Killers, Future Islands Schnauss occasionally nodded back to
rock to generic rock and pop. (In fact, you could and Chvrches to experimental composers Tangerine Dream before actually
argue with the latter genres that all music is like Jenny Hval, Boards of Canada and (at becoming Tangerine Dream.
electronic these days – it’s generally artificially one time anyway) M83. Finally, over two billion Spotify streams
created within computers, after all, but let’s not Then there are the once electronic can’t be wrong. The Weeknd’s Blinding
open that particular can of worms.) producers who have broken through the Lights is probably the most high-profile
All these kinds of Electronic Music exist ranks to the mainstream: Jon Hopkins is synth pop tune of the last couple of years,
because any producer can put their music out in still widely regarded for his extremely having been number one the world over
this DIY environment. We have countless tools dynamic electronic works, while also and shifting as many copies as any synth
at our disposal to create Electronic Music – dabbling in tunes with Eno and Coldplay, song. It wears its 80s roots well – those
there’s a whole chapter to be written on while William Orbit went from Strange riffs could have come from any a-ha or
Eurorack synths, for example, and just look at Cargo electronics to awards with OMD single – and proves that Electronic
the software tools we are giving you with this Madonna – quite a journey in any Music, in its purest form, is alive, well and
book – and it easier than ever to do. You can get electronic musician’s book. as popular as ever.
a complete recording studio on a Mac, PC, tablet
or even a phone – music can be made literally

You could now argue The Weeknd – Electronic Music is

alive, well, and well retro
that all music is
electronic, but let’s not
open that particular
can of worms
anywhere, and released on just about anything.
But the joys of releasing your own music,
without the constraints of needing a record deal
any more, are tempered by the fact that,
ironically, there are fewer big record companies
and traditional media outlets filtering the vast
amount – and we mean vast – of music out there.
It’s a sea of noise, but it is also one you can
navigate. The new journalism is where to find
the new filters which help you find the new
electronic beacons: the blogs (Electrobuzz,
Inverted Audio), the specialist magazines (this
one!), the narrow but deep podcasts (including
labels like Ninja Tune and Hospital Records) and
the specialist radio stations (RA Exchange,
Transmission Radio or check out Vince Clarke’s
Synthesizer Show at makerparkradio.nyc).
Electronic Music’s history is as complex as
the definition of the music that it has produced,
but that is also its beauty and appeal. The search
is as amazing as the discovery, and now there
are more artists, yourself included, creating and
distributing, and more listeners searching and
filtering. To twist another expression, ‘build it
and they will come’, we should close with
‘produce it and they will listen’. That’s what this
guide is for. We supply the tools and tutorials, so
we can inspire you to add to the complexity and
Getty

beauty that is Electronic Music. Enjoy!

16 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 seventies electronic / contents <

The 1970s
The 70s was a decade where the
synth came out of the design studio
and into the recording studio, picked
up by a varied bunch of producers
and boffins, and tweaked to make
electronic music that drifted from
concrete ambience to cold, machine-
like experimentation, before exploding
into pop as the decade closed…

18 Make Electronic Music Now:

70s Electronic
22 Interview: Jean-Michel Jarre
28 Make Electronic Music Now:
Ambient
36 Classic interview: Kraftwerk’s
Ralf Hütter
22 36
RECREATE FAMOUS 70S
SYNTH SOUNDS
27 Jean-Michel Jarre
32 Brian Eno & Tangerine Dream
33 Pink Floyd
34 Donna Summer
32 34 35 Kraftwerk

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 17

> make electronic music now / 70s electronic

70s Electronic
With its syncopated sequences and cool cosmic chaos, the Berlin School of
instrumental electronic exploration takes you on a trip beyond time and space
Maybe it was written in the stars but a tape treatments, and later with synths such revival in the mid-80s/early 90s, with acts like
revival of the so-called ‘Berlin School’ of as EMS’ VCS3 and Moog modular systems. Wavestar, Ian Boddy, Mark Shreeve, and Andy
electronic improvisation seemed inevitable. It was a Moog 960 sequencer that first gave Pickford all displaying a clear influence.
Pioneered by a cadre of psyche rockers the Berlin School its signature sound – a The genre would return with the modular
orbiting Tangerine Dream’s Edgar Froese, the chugging eighth-note rhythm first established synth revival with artists like Node, Ron Boots,
style is tied to its birthplace, though it’s also by Tangerine Dream on their Phaedra LP. Radio Massacre and Parallel Worlds.
referred to as Kosmische Musik. Initially a Ex-Dreamers Klaus Schulze and Michael The style is easier than ever to accomplish –
subset of kraut rock, Kosmische evolved Hoenig further developed the style in the 70s, and we’ll get you going with nothing but your
away from the standard instrumentation of even while Tangerine Dream themselves DAW and the instruments and effects available
rock, instead leaning heavily into electronic churned out a classic catalogue of astral at filesilo.co.uk (Bookazines/ Music Producer’s
experimentalism, initially with organs and atmospherics. The UK experienced a minor Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. The Sequence

TUTORIAL
FILES

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to We’ll use MIDI tracks, so let’s assign The sound of the Berlin School was

1 build classic Berlin School-style

sequences using software you already
own, courtesy of our complementary
plugin suite. Use your preferred DAW, but
2 our USB MIDI controller keyboard to
Track 1. In T7 DAW, this is done by using
the drop-down menu that appears when
clicking the empty slot in the track’s
3 defined by its use of modular synths
and sequencers and we’ve got a
humdinger in the Suite. It’s called
Voltage Modular Nucleus and it comes to
we’ll be using Tracktion Software’s free T7 header (left) and choosing an input. We’ve us courtesy of Cherry Audio. In T7 DAW,
DAW for our examples. selected ours, labelled USB O2. We’ll use the plugin can be instantiated by dragging
this track for our first sequencer passage, the grey ‘+’ icon to the left of the volume
calling it Sequencer 1. control on the track’s right side.

You’ll see a drop-down with a ‘Synths’ Modules are added from the browser. You’ll need an Oscillator to make a

4 category, from which Voltage Modular

may be selected. Having done so, you’ll be
presented with a module rack. The top
row includes panels that connect to your
5 Start by adding an Amplifier, which
can be dragged to the right side of the
rack. Connections are made with virtual
patch cables. These can be created by
6 sound, and a Filter module too. Find
the Oscillator’s Square Wave Output
among the jacks at the bottom, and patch
it to the FIlter’s Audio In jack. Patch the
host and/or the outside world. All available clicking and holding on a jack. Connect Filter’s Low-Pass Jack (bottom left) to the
modules will be shown in the browser on the Amplifier’s Output to the 1L(M) jack in Amplifier’s Input. Increasing the
the left. You can click the Library button the Main Outs to host panel to route audio Amplifier’s Gain knob brings the sound
up top to reveal them. from the modular to the host. into play. Turn that knob back down to nil.

18 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 70s electronic / make electronic music now <

BERLIN SCHOOL CLASSICS PRO TIPS

TANGERINE DREAM VAN ZYL AND GULCH TRANSPOSITION
RUBICON REGENERATION MODE The sequenced patch we’ve described in our
They invented Berlin School Van Zyl and Gulch’s bands (Xisle walkthrough allows the user to transpose the root note
with Phaedra… and near and Nightcrawlers, respectively) of the sequenced pattern to be changed on the fly.
perfected it by this. Moody were at the forefront of an active However, note that many legendary Berlin School
Mellotron, constant stellar electronic music scene around performances stay on a single pattern, in a single key.
effects: quintessential. America’s East Coast in the 80s. In this way, they build unresolved tension while also
allowing the performer to easily improvise over the top
bit.ly/td_rbcn Order CD from starsend.org of the pattern. Keep it simple to keep it cosmic!

KLAUS SCHULZE STEVE ROACH LAYERED SEQUENCES

BODY LOVE SKELETON KEYS We’ve only space to show you how to create a single
The original EBM! Not sure what Mr Roach’s return to the sequencer- sequence, but most good Kosmische tracks are made
synths, sequencers, and astral based style he deftly explored in the up of multiple sequencer patches, generally locked to
drones have to do with the porno 80s. Accompanied by a massive the same master clock. For example, there might be a
for which this was made, but it’s a modular system from Synthesizers. sequencer playing an 1/8th-note bass pattern, while
great Berlin School example. com, this is pulsating perfection. another fires off rapid 1/16th-note arpeggios in a higher
register. Yet another might be used to generate a
percussive pattern. All of these might fade in and out to
bit.ly/ks_bdlv bit.ly/sr_sk_kys add interest and drama.

For control over the Amplifier’s Gain: Not very exciting! Not to worry. Stop Our pattern consists of C2, C2, G2, E2,

7 add an Envelope Generator module

and patch its Env Out jack to the
Amplifier’s CV In. Clicking the Env’s Gate
button triggers the Env, activating the
8 the Sequencer. Adjust its Rate to
90bpm. Note the rows of buttons/sliders.
The buttons determine if a step is heard,
the sliders the frequency or voltage of that
9 C3, G3, C3, E3. Now shape the sound a
bit. With the sequence playing, reduce the
Env Generator’s S(ustain) slider to nil and
set its D(ecay) and R(elease) sliders to
Amp’s Gain. Add the 8-Step Sequencer step. Connect the Sequencer’s Output to 200ms. This causes the Env to shape the
module. Route its Gate Out jack to the Env the Osc’s Keyb CV jack. This lets the volume over time. Now, reduce the Filter’s
Generator’s Gate In. Press the Seq’s Start Sequencer control the Osc’s pitch. Adjust Cutoff to 800Hz and increase Resonance
to trigger the Env Generator. the sliders for a different pitch each step. to around 24% for a muted tone.

Next, route the Envelope Generator’s Berlin Schoolers such as Klaus Schulze Set host BPM to 90. Lash the Seq to

10 Env Out to the Filter’s Freq Mod 1 input

and set the Filter’s Mod 1 Amount to 30%.
This causes the Filter’s Cutoff to be shaped
by the Env Generator. We need a Delay
11 liked using a keyboard to transpose
the sequence. We can do the same by
going to the CV Outs panel and patching
its Pitch Output to the Osc’s Keyb CV,
12 the host with a Sync Divider module.
Find the Transport panel. Connect its Sync
Out to the Sync Divider’s Sync In. Route
the Sync Divider’s Clock Out to the Seq’s
module. Disconnect the Amplifier’s Output alongside the cable coming from the Ext CLK jack. Click Ext. Patch the Transport
from the Main Outs and send it to the Sequencer. You’ll want to lower the Osc’s panel’s Play and Stop jacks to the Seq’s
Delay’s Input instead. The Delay’s Output Range to 32’. Now, our CMaj pattern can Start and Stop, respectively. Now, the
should go to the Main Outs 1L(M). be transposed via incoming MIDI notes. host’s transport controls the sequencer.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 19

> make electronic music now / 70s electronic

Ratcheting > Step by step 2. Atmospheres and automation

In recent years, there has been a
resurgence in the sound of
‘ratcheting’, though it only
occasionally surfaced in the
original Berlin School recordings.
Pioneered by Tangerine
Dream (who else?), ratcheting is
a sort of rapid-fire rhythmic
accent, not unlike the beat-
repeat functions found on
modern sequencers. Ratcheting
is often used at the beginning of a
sequencer pattern to add a layer
of pseudo-complexity to the
proceedings – a welcome bit of
We keep harping on the Engage the click on your DAW (and

1 2
interest to offset the redundancy
improvisational aspect of the ensure a count-in during recording),
of the constant 1/8th-note
Kosmische classics. It’s time to start and arm your new track for recording. Try
sequences. Excellent examples building up some atmosphere, and for improvising a simple passage in, oh, EMaj.
can be found on Tangerine that, we’re going to improvise. Mute your We’ve allowed our final note to sustain for
Dream’s Stratosfear LP. sequencer track and instantiate the CM some time, and our entire clip stretches
Today, a ratcheting might be edition of Xils Lab’s PolyKB II, selecting the across the first 16 bars. This will act as our
included in amongst a preset pad sound called PA Icebergs II LtZ. introduction.
sequencer’s many features, but
there are many ways to create
the effect. In the hardware world,
where space and economics limit
the number of modules on hand,
synthesists often employed LFOs
to fire off clustered triggers.
However, today’s software
modular systems allow us to
more easily create ratcheting
simply by employing more
sequencers. You can, in fact, find
a very good example among
Nucleus’ presets. Call it up and
give it a listen.
Let’s assign our Filter Cutoff to a knob Now, with recording engaged,

3 on our hardware keyboard controller.

Open PolyKB II’s Option menu and select
Open MIDI Settings Panel. Parameter 1 is
assigned to control the Filter Freq, and is
4 overdub the clip with some real-time
knob-tweaking using your newly-assigned
MIDI parameter. Keep it simple and
gradual. If you like, you can assign another
currently displayed. Click the Learning hardware knob to the synth’s Filter
button and waggle a knob on your Resonance and record a pass of that one,
controller to assign it to this parameter. too. Any parameter is worth a try.

> Step by step 3. Additional elements

TUTORIAL
FILES

We’re off to a good start, but we need We could use another sound in the Let’s add one more polysynth to our

1 to flesh things out. Let’s add another

instance of Voltage Modular and create
another sequenced patch using the same
methods we described earlier. This
2 intro. A warm string sound might be
nice, so instantiate SynthMasterCM on a
new track and select the preset called STR
Simple Saw MK. Making sure the
3 palette. This time, it’ll be Alpha CM,
and we’ll choose yet another string pad, a
preset called STR-LongSweep-TEG. We’re
not going to track it just yet – we’ll wait
sequence will provide the bass notes. As sequencer tracks are muted, lay down until the next walkthrough for that.
before, we’ll lash it to the host’s transport some chords in the key of EMaj, holding However, we’ll have it ready to rock for
and tempo. the last until bar 25. when the time comes.

20 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 70s electronic / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Arranging and mixing

TUTORIAL
FILES

Now it’s time to start laying down Do something similar with the second Here, we’ve rearranged our tracks a

1 some tracks. Start with our sequencer

patch on Track 1, temporarily muting all of
the other tracks. The idea is to let the
sequencer play, while recording the
2 sequencer-based track (remembering
to un-mute it). Play on for however long
you like, and edit it down later. Note that
we’ve bucked the tradition of sticking to
3 little, with our intro tracks up top.
We’ve reduced the gains of both
sequencer tracks so that we hear only our
intro pads. We want our intro pads to fade
transposition from incoming MIDI notes. minor keys and gone for something a little out at around bar 17. You can do this in real
We’ve repeated a 17-bar, four-note more upbeat, but you can adjust your time or by manually editing the
passage, and quantised the results. sequences as you like. automation curves.

We’ll use the same technique to fade Now it’s time to track some slow string We’ve faded our phased Free Alpha

4 in our first sequencer track at around

bar 17. Our second sequencer track will
gradually fade in later, at around bar 49 or
so. We’ll fade out the first sequencer track
5 passages using the FreeAlpha strings
we instantiated earlier. We’re just using
some simple dyads based on the root
notes of the sequencer transpositions.
6 strings in and added some ambient
FM bells from a new instance of
SynthMaster CM on track 7. Obviously,
we’ve only scratched the surface, and we’ll
before the end, allowing the second We’ve processed the track with STARK CM leave it to you to add more – a lead, sound
sequencer patch to play a bit longer and its LoFi ARP preset, which includes a effects and other elements of interest
before fading. lovely vintage phaser sound. along your cosmic journey.

POWER TIP

Drum role, please > Ground control

Drums rarely play the same sort of role in Some of the best Kosmische Musik
Kosmische Musik as they do in other genres. recordings have been recorded
When Tangerine Dream kick-started the Berlin live, directly to two-track tape/disc.
School with their Phaedra album, they tapped These recordings are mixed in real
time, usually by the performer, and
into Moog’s 960 sequencer module to create a
Moog’s 960 often merely by controlling the
sense of rhythm in lieu of employing an actual sequencer volume levels of the synths and
drummer. The chugging 1/8th-note sequencer module other instruments at the source.
passages provided the pulse while the band When a mixing console is used, it
improvised with various other instruments, provided the main rhythmic thrust of those too can be used as a performance
drawing the blueprint for future Kosmische performances. instrument, allowing the aural
performers, many of whom would similarly Still others would use drums as a rhythmic astronaut to fade in and out various
eschew acoustic and electronic drums in accent, adding a muted kick or steady ride sequences, tape or sample loops,
and other pre-recorded or
favour of the gentle tick-tock of the sequencer. cymbal to nail down the beat divisions. And
programmed passages. In such
One-time drummer Klaus Schulze did, very few – such as the UK’s Wavestar and Mark cases, a USB fader box might be the
however, incorporate live acoustic drums, Shreeve – would go so far as to add drum perfect companion for your sonic
often played in a freeform, improvisational machine patterns to accentuate their space journeys.
manner. Still, the sequencers and synthesisers interstellar endeavours.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 21

> interview / jean-michel jarre

JEAN-MICHEL
JARRE
Jean-Michel Jarre is very much ‘The Godfather’
when it comes to Electronic Music. Here he delivers
a music history lesson and a glimpse into the future

“I am pleased to be talking to you,” says Bambaataa. And Morgan Khan. And Eno. And…
Jean-Michel Jarre after realising he is Jean-Michel Jarre.
going to be questioned about studio Whatever your musical preferences, there is
technology. “You see, I have spent far more no denying that Jarre has had a huge and
of my life with computers and machines than groundbreaking impact on the development of
I have with human beings. I think that people Electronic Music. His best-known album,
reading this will understand my situation. It’s Oxygène, was released in 1976, a time when
a good situation as far as I’m concerned. I synthesisers and drum machines were seen as
always feel comfortable with my machines!” little more than musical gimmicks.
The Godfather of Electronic Music is one of “Back then, people bought synthesisers to
those phrases that always sparks intense make some silly noises on their next album,”
debate and, occasionally, bitter argument. For laughs Jarre.
some, it’s Kraftwerk. Others favour Pierre But Jarre was intent on proving that
Schaeffer and the Musique Concrète machines needed to be taken seriously by the
movement. Perhaps you’d prefer Stockhausen music business. And, as we all know, the only
or Subotnick. Or Delia Derbyshire – the way the music business will take something
Godmother? Then, of course, you have to throw seriously is if you shift units. So that’s what he
Moroder, Numan, Detroit, Chicago and did. Oxygène topped the French album charts,
Krautrock into the ring. And King Tubby. And made Number Two in the UK and was Top Ten

22 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 jean-michel jarre / interview <

©EDDA

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 23

 > interview / jean-michel jarre

across Europe. To date, it has sold 13 million

copies, and is the best-selling French album of “We are curious creatures, and Electronic Music
all time.
The album’s single, Oxygène, Pt. 4, went to offers us another way to explore the unknown”
Number Four in the UK, which meant that,
excitingly for enthusiasts, synths were all over
Top of the Pops and burbling out of breakfast told me that music and machines would never
radios in Billericay, Mansfield and Swindon. be a good partnership. She wanted me to learn would sound better when they were being
Thanks to Jarre, the VCS 3, the ARP 2600 and the violin!” played backwards.
the Korg Mini Pops were now part of the “This led me to other kinds of investigation. I
mainstream musical landscape. You’ve been making music for five decades was no longer just interested in the notes… I was
Sipping water in his London PR’s office, Jarre now, but isn’t it true to say that you were interested in the sound itself. Processed sound.
looks ludicrously healthy and could easily pass actually tinkering with noise even as a young My friends began to notice this and one of them
for mid-50s – he’s over 70! Well over four kid in the late-50s and early-60s? said, ‘My father knows a place where there are
decades after that initial success, he must have J-MJ: “Yes, I was. My main inspiration was my lots of people like you. You should go there’. It
talked about music and technology thousands grandfather, an engineer and fantastic inventor was 1968 and this place was the Groupe de
of times before, but the mention of Arturia’s of strange things. He made one of the earliest Recherches Musicales in Paris, run by Pierre
Solina V string machine, Ableton Live or the mixing consoles that was used in France… and Schaeffer.” [The GRM came into existence in
latest MacBook Pro seems to light up his face he also invented the iPod!” 1958, following the dissolution of the Groupe de
and he’s off… excitedly explaining a story about Recherche de Musique Concrète, which itself
his grandfather’s home-made portable turntable Hang on a minute… had been formed by Schaeffer and fellow
or the all-round capabilities of Kontakt software. J-MJ:“OK, I’m not being completely serious, but pioneers, Pierre Henry and Jacques Poullin.
Jarre has certainly kept up with music and he made me a portable turntable that ran on During its short life, the GRMC attracted a long
technology; in fact you can mark many of his batteries. I could sit in the garden and listen to list of musical innovators including
releases and successes over the years with my favourite records. It was an exciting Stockhausen, Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Edgard
significant and historical technological themes: moment. Like a kid who’s getting his first Varèse and Michel Philippot.]
from panning hard stereo in Oxygene to wowing Walkman or iPod.
(literally) millions with ‘laser harps’ across the “I used to love visiting his workshop because So that’s when and where you first started
world in incredible concerts, to exploring it was so full of imagination and ideas. He would experimenting with sound?
sampling in his later albums, to then shifting his tell me about a new device he was working on or J-MJ: “You have to remember what was
entire analogue synth collection on the road for explain how an amplifier worked. This was the happening in 1968. There were riots not only in
an intimate tour of Oxygene, the technological atmosphere I grew up in. Technology was part Paris, but all over the world. Revolution was in
story is almost as fascinating as Jarre’s. of my everyday life. the air. For me, making Electronic Music was
And he’s kept up with the music too. 2018’s “One day, he gave me his old Grundig reel-to- part of the revolution. It was rebellion; it was
Planet Jarre, is perhaps the best way to explore reel tape machine. It was very small and punk rock. We were trying to fight with the
the Jarre legacy for a newcomer, with portable, so I would record all sorts of strange traditional world of music… against classical and
everything from back-catalogue tracks to newer sounds on there. By accident, I played one of the mainstream rock.
collaborations with the likes of Vince Clarke and tapes backwards and… wow! I heard a whole “My big argument was that music does not
Armin Van Buuren. new universe of sound. At the time, I was a always have to be about the notes. There were
“These albums are helping me celebrate 50 member of a few local rock bands and I started people at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales
years of making Electronic Music,” he says. to introduce this backwards music into my who could not play a single instrument.
“Thank God I never listened to my mother. She guitar solos. I tried to find melodies and fills that Mathematicians, philosophers and painters who
had no traditional training, but they were
brilliant musicians. They didn’t approach music
with notes – they approached it with sound.”
J-MJ is one of the few
people who can pull off the But you also studied ‘traditional’ classical
‘key-tar’ look
music… wasn’t your tutor from the famous
Conservatoire de Paris?
J-MJ: “Yes, yes. Of course. But I was always in
trouble with my tutor because as soon as
learned a new piece of music, I wanted to
improvise. I heard new ideas and melodies in my
head. I couldn’t understand why music had to be
in this rigid framework. Why do I have to play
this over and over in the same way? There were
times when it was almost destroying my love of
music. I could not just stay in the same place… I
was already keen to know more.
“And that is probably the main reason why I
had so much faith in Electronic Music. At the
time, people thought that we were just stupid
kids playing with machines, but I was absolutely
convinced that Electronic Music – the mix of
technology and music, working together as
friends – would become the major genre of the
21st century. We are curious creatures, and
Electronic Music offers us another way to
explore the unknown.
“At first, there were only a few people who felt
like this, but the prophecy has come true.
©Erik Voake

Technology and music have become a

partnership. As technology develops, it pulls

24 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 jean-michel jarre / interview <

Jean-Michel splits his time

between his studio in LA
and this one in Paris

music into the future. Because we must never

forget that, throughout history, it is the
cuisine. These days, we know that cooking is a
real art, because you’re mixing different
(Very)
technology that has dictated the musical style.
It was the violin that led Vivaldi to his music. It
flavours and ingredients… you are adding your
emotions in there too. You are cooking with
Selected
was the 78 RPM record that dictated the length
of a song. Elvis sang three-minute songs
your soul.
“There are some people who are in the
kit list
because that’s all the information he could get kitchen and they say, ‘I must get this book HARDWARE
on the record. It was the long-playing album because it will help me be a better chef. It will MacBook Pro
that allowed groups like Pink Floyd and myself solve all my problems’. Thanks to Gutenberg, Ableton Live 10
to create concept albums. the bookshops are full of cook books, so that ARP 2600
“And once we introduce the computer into person will have plenty of choice. Unfortunately, EMS VCS 3
the list of technology, the doors are smashed even though the book shops have many books,
Moog Sub 37
open. The computer is as important as not all of them will be useful. Some of them will
Dave Smith OB-6
Gutenberg and his printing press almost 600 never be opened and go straight to the
Mellotron M4000D
years ago. It has fundamentally changed our recycling plant.
Digisequencer matrix
lives. And, for us musicians, it has changed the “But even when you find a useful book, it will sequencer custom-built
way we make music. Technology gives us the not solve all your problems. That book alone will by Michel Geiss
impetus to make our ideas become real.” not make you a brilliant chef. Attempting to
make some crazy recipes will not make you a SOFTWARE
You’ve also argued in the past that there are brilliant chef. Arturia V-Collection
inherent problems that come along with “It is the same with music. Like cooking, it is Synapse Dune 2
new technology… an art. Instead of vegetables and spices, you Korg Legacy collection
J-MJ: “Hmm… yes, yes. Definitely! How can I have samples and reverbs. In cooking, you have Native Instruments
explain this? OK, so I come from Lyon in France, cookbooks, and in music you have plugins. Kontakt and Reaktor
which is one of the great centres of French There are lots of them. There are some that will iZotope Ozone 8
be uploaded at the time you start reading this
interview and they will be already obsolete by
“Technology gives us the the time you finish. If you fall into the trap of
thinking that one hundred new plugins will get
impetus to make our you a career in music, you are finished. You run
the risk of murdering your creativity.
ideas become real” “My advice is – and this is the same for
hardware or software – choose carefully. Take

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 25

> interview / jean-michel jarre

Oxygène and its

simple setup
“Of course, I’ve always been very pleased with
Oxygène and I’m proud of what it has achieved. I
wanted to create real songs with machines, and
wanted those songs to exist as a proper album. This
music was not a joke to me.
“I had no studio. Just a spare room in my home
that had been the kitchen. I took all the kitchen
equipment out and installed my musical
equipment… very minimal. There was the VCS 3, the
ARP 2600, the Eminent 310, an RMI Harmonic synth,
a Small Stone Electro Harmonix guitar pedal, a Korg
Mini Pops for the loop and my Revox which helped
me create the delay. I have always said that the
biggest trick on Oxygène is creating a big delay on
the right, a delay of the dry left signal. That, for me,
is what caused 50% of the album’s success.
“Ah, there was one other instrument: a broken
old Mellotron. Only a few of the notes actually
worked, so I had to choose my chords and
melodies from the notes that were available to
me. Just because you are limited by notes, does
not mean you have to be limited musically.”

Photography Mark Tso

three or four instruments and use nothing else 110 tracks, but Ableton remained stable and very people can access it without those terrible
for six months. Get to know them. That is the flexible. Even when I was adding more plugins. glasses. And 5.1. I have re-recorded some of the
best way of nurturing your creativity. That is With Pro Tools, you only need one bug and the tracks on the new album in 5.1 because I think it
how you will learn to express yourself… the whole thing crashes. Then it takes 20 minutes to is fun, but I know that not everyone has the
music will be guided by the technology, but it get everything set up again! luxury of being able to sit in the middle of all
will come from inside you. It will be filled with “I have been working with the Ableton team, those speakers. I’ll say it once again, technology
your emotions.” trying to improve and contribute a little bit is delayed in this regard, but it will catch up one
because I think it’s a fantastic platform. Pro Tools day. It will evolve naturally for your mobile and
And of course, you are now a big user of the started to feel like you must pay to play. Every your headphones.
latest software to make music, and have year, you must give more money… a bit like “What an exciting period in history, eh? And,
gone from Pro Tools to Ableton Live? Dolby used to be in the early days. Pay a yearly more than that, what an exciting time to make
J-MJ:“Pro Tools went over the top. It all became rental or it won’t work. You are making a music. In the past, we were limited by the
too expensive. Every year, they were making Faustian pact and I don’t like that.” technology we had, but now… the only limit is
big changes and you have to surround yourself your imagination.”
with all the extra hardware, otherwise nothing And what about other software?
would work. Then I tried Ableton and… yes, it J-MJ: Synapse Audio Dune, the Korg Legacy
changed my life. Finding Ableton Live was as Collection. Native Instruments Reaktor and
important for me as seeing my first multitrack Kontakt – if I could only use one plugin, it would
or my first synthesiser. It has made my time in be Kontakt because it offers you so many
the studio so much easier. possibilities. The Arturia V-Collection, of course.
“In fact, I no longer need to be in the studio, Their latest version of the ARP 2600 is so close
or even on the ground. When I was finishing off to the real thing. I am a big fan of the ARP… and I HEAR MORE
this new album, I was listening to what I thought have been using one for a long time, so I do
was the final master on a plane to the Middle know what I’m talking about!”
East. I heard two or three very tiny changes I
wanted to make. With Ableton Live and my Presumably a lot of hardware too?
laptop, I made the changes, sent them to one of J-MJ: “Always! The ARP, VCS 3, Moog 37, Dave
my production team while I was changing Smith OB-6, the new Mellotron M4000D. I like
planes, and then had the new master ready by to keep my old string machine, too, the Eminent Oxygène, Pt 4
the time I arrived at my destination. It’s crazy… 310. That is maybe the one area where digital bit.ly/jmjoxy
crazy, but wonderful. tech has not been able to match the sound of Equinoxe
“I think Ableton 8 was the first version that analogue. The Arturia Solina V is pretty good, youtube.com/watch?v=sebSXrmdo1Y
held my attention, but it still felt a little bit too but then again, there is something that happens
much like a DJ tool. The sound quality wasn’t inside the hardware… something with the WWW

quite as I would like. But, from 9, it has been chorus that cannot be reproduced. Yet it will jeanmicheljarre.com
perfect. Lots of people say that the sound happen eventually. In five or ten years, we will soundcloud.com/jeanmicheljarre
quality of Pro Tools is better, but I compared a see the technology.
twitter.com/jeanmicheljarre
bounce from Ableton and Pro Tools, and Ableton “We have to accept that, sometimes, there
was more transparent. None of that ‘phasing’ are delays with technology. Look at 3D in the facebook.com/jeanmicheljarre
effect. One of the tracks on the new album had cinema. I don’t think it will be accepted until

26 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 70s synth sounds / sound design <

> Step by step Oxygene IV brass lead

TUTORIAL
FILES

Oxygene IV
Jean-Michel Jarre We’ll use Cherry Audio’s Voltage Let’s start patching. We’ll run cables

Year: 1976
Original Synth: ARP 2600
1 Modular Nucleus to approximate
Jarre’s ARP 2600 synth. Clicking New in
the upper-left clears our rack, we’ll grab a
Mini LFO and pair of Oscillators from the
2 from the CV Sources’ Pitch jack down
to each Oscillator’s Pitch CV jacks. We’ll
run cables from the CV Sources’ Gate
down to each Envelope’s Gate In jacks.
Plugin used: Cherry Library. We’ll get a 6-Input Mixer, a Filter, We’ll patch our Oscillator’s Sawtooth jacks
and a pair of Envelope Generators. We’ll to the first two inputs of the Mixer module.
Audio Voltage Modular also grab an Amplifier, a Spring Reverb The Mixer’s Master Output will go to the
and a Delay module. Filter’s Audio In.

We’re going to recreate some famous synth

sounds using the plugin instruments and
effects that you can download from filesilo.co.
uk, all free with this guide. And we’re opening
with a classic from Jean-Michel Jarre…
By 1976, the synthesiser had infiltrated the
mainstream. Adopted and integrated by big-
name rock and pop musicians, sounds once
associated with the avant-garde were now
sprinkled amongst the electric guitars, electric
pianos, horns and strings that formed the
backbone of most hit records of the day.
And yet, the all-electronic album was a rarity.
Kosmische groups like Tangerine Dream and
Klaus Schulze had tapped the charts with
influential synthetic masterpieces, as had Moog
The Filter’s Low-pass Output (bottom- Set both Reverb and Delay Mix fully
classicalist Isao Tomita, but their work could
hardly have been considered mainstream. Their
records were beloved by ‘the heads’ to be sure,
but no one was whistling “Mysterious
3 left) goes to the Amplifier’s Input. The
Amplifier’s ‘+’ Output goes to the Reverb’s
L(M) Input, and the Reverb’s L Output to
the Delay’s Input. The Delay’s ‘+’ Output
4 dry for now. Patch the LFO’s top
Output to each Oscillator’s Freq Mod jack.
Give the Freq Mod knobs a tiny push in
either direction. Turn the Mixer’s first two
Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares” on their goes to the Main Outs 1L(M) jack. Route channels down a bit. Set one Osc’s
way to the corner shop! the left Envelope’s Positive jack (bottom- Frequency to -0.03 and the other to 0.03.
Jean-Michel Jarre changed all that with right) to the Filter’s Freq Mod 1, and the Go to the Filter. Turn the Cutoff down to
right Envelope’s Positive Output to the around 30Hz and Resonance to 16%.
Oxygene IV. Like the rest of the Oxygene LP,
Amplifier’s CV Amount.
Oxygene IV was recorded at home, in Jarre’s
kitchen. A handful of instruments were used,
among them an EMS VCS3, and Eminent 310
organ/string machine, an RMI Harmonic
Synthesizer, and an ARP 2600.
These instruments were painstakingly
overdubbed and layered onto an eight-track
recorder. Most of the processing came in the
form of tape echo and guitar pedals.
While ambient at times – even psychedelic –
Oxygene’s signature quality is its tunefulness.
Jarre is a master of melody and arrangement.
Oxygene IV is ever so slightly mysterious, but
entirely optimistic.
An unlikely hit, Oxygene IV climbed to
number 4 in the UK single chart, and is arguably
Jarre’s most recognisable composition. Both the Turn the FIlter’s Freq Mod 1 knob up Now adjust the Spring Reverb and
single and the LP from which it was drawn made
an indelible impression on generations of
would-be electronic musicians.
Today, Jarre’s once unusual approach – a lone
5 nearly full. In the left Envelope, set the
Attack to around 60ms, and the Release to
over 7000ms. In the right envelope, the
Attack should be about 65ms, the Decay
6 Delay’s Dry/Wet Mix levels to taste.
We’ll do a bit of fine-tuning to the various
parameters. The patch is nicely responsive
to the length of time notes are held, so
artist composing and recording at home with a fully up and the Release set to around experiment with performance style. This
handful of electronic instruments – has become 2400ms. It’s all a bit high pitched, so set is obviously a simplified version of Jarre’s
commonplace, as easy for us now as it was each Oscillator’s Range to 32’. classic ARP 2600 patch. You can elaborate
difficult for Jarre at the time… further upon it as you see fit.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 27

> make electronic music now / ambient

AMBIENT
Atmospheric, ethereal, meditative or moody, this misunderstood music is becoming
increasingly popular as the tools used to create it have become more accessible
The term ‘ambient music’ was coined in ambience of the environment just as the from his previous art rock and left some
the 70s by ex-Roxy Music band member colour of the light and the sound of the rain reviewers confused. Still, they had a lasting
and ostrich feather aficionado Brian Eno, who were part of that ambience.” impact on experimental instrumental ambience
developed new ideas about music while Eno was familiar with Satie’s concept of in genres as diverse as industrial and new age.
incapacitated after a car accident. As the furniture music (music to be enjoyed in the Ambient techniques would be adopted by
story goes, a visitor put on a record on her background) and the tape compositions of experimental dance musicians in the 90s, not
way out of the room. Unable to turn up the Steve Reich. He combined the two approaches least Aphex Twin.
hi-fi, Eno relaxed to the sound of barely on his next LP, Discreet Music, fully realising it Let’s explore how to create an ambient track
audible music merging with that of rain from on 1978’s Ambient 1: Music For Airports. using the Plugin Suite and samples that you
outside. “This presented what was for me a With its focus on atmosphere over melody, can find at filesilo.co.uk (at Bookazines/Music
new way of hearing music – as part of the Eno’s ambient records were a radical change Producer’s Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. Modular synth ambience

TUTORIAL
FILES

In this tutorial, we’ll create an ambient Our goal is to create a patch that A sequencer needs something to

1 patch using Cherry Audio’s Voltage

Modular Nucleus. Combining the flexibility
of a modular synth with a systematic
approach like those used by Brian Eno can
2 allows some control over the notes
and sounds, but still offers some element
of chance. We’ll do that in a way similar to
that used by Eno on Discreet Music, by
3 sequence, so drop the Oscillator
module into your rack. Next, find a Filter
module and bring that in, too. Find the
Square/Pulse Output at the bottom of the
yield great results to be enjoyed alone, or combining slow sequences with different Oscillator and run a cable from that into
serve as the stimulus for a more complex tempos. Start at the module browser on the Filter’s Audio In jack. You’ll need an
production. Let’s fire up Voltage Modular the left and find the Eight-Step Sequencer Amplifier module to hear your sound, so
Nucleus and click New to wipe the slate. module, then click the Add button. bring one of those in as well.

Stick with the traditional low-pass Turn the Amplifier’s Gain back to nil for Find the Sequencer’s Rate knob and

4 filter for now, running a cable from the

Filter’s Low-pass Output (bottom-left) to
the Amplifier’s Input jack. We want echo;
grab a Delay module and patch the Amp’s
5 now. Let’s bring that Sequencer into
play. Patch its CV Output jack up to the
Oscillator’s Pitch CV input. This will cause
our sequencer to control the notes played
6 turn it all the way down to 3.8bpm.
Slow. Very slow! Click the Sequencer’s
Start button to set the sequence into
motion. You can give your Amplifier’s Gain
“+” Output to the Delay’s Input. Route the by the osc. Deselect all of the Sequencer’s knob another nudge to hear your
Delay’s “+” Output to the 1L(M) jack in the Step On/Off buttons, save for 1, 3, and 7. handiwork. It’s not too interesting, is it?
Main Outs to host panel up top. Give the Nudge step 3’s slider up to E3, and step 7’s Crank your Delay’s Time full, and set the
Amp’s Gain a nudge to hear the sound. value to G2. Step 1 will remain on C2. Feedback to 66% or so. Still not great!

28 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 ambient / make electronic music now <

FOUR AMBIENT CLASSICS PRO TIPS

BRIAN ENO STEVE ROACH BEAT THE CLOCK
AMBIENT 1: MUSIC FOR DREAMTIME RETURN Though many ambient recordings are underpinned by
AIRPORTS This genre classic fuses Roach’s rhythms, it can be inspiring to ignore tempos, time
The aforementioned ‘non- electronics with aboriginal signatures and any other indicators of time. Ambient
musician’ may not have chants and perc. Inspired by a music is often best when meditative and untethered by
invented ambient music, but he trip to the Outback, it’s evocative trivial restrictions. Rhythms are fine, but you might find
did give it a name with this LP. and – for some – transformative. it useful to ignore bar lines or metres. If you like
exploring rhythms, consider introducing polyrhythmic
bit.ly/be_a1mfa bit.ly/sr_dtr tracks, combining patterns with different lengths.

KEVIN BRAHENY ROBERT RICH, B. ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTION AGENCY

LULLABY FOR THE LUSTMORD STALKER Long before Captain Eno defined ambient and well
HEARTS OF SPACE Always associated ambient with the before label marketeers jumped onto the term ‘new
Two improvisational recordings, saccharine vibes of new age? This age’, people were making and selling recordings of the
created using Braheny’s Mighty often terrifying record will shatter natural environment. Field recordist Irv Teibel’s 11-part
Serge Modular analogue synth that illusion. Unnerving, inspiring Environments series kicked it all off in 1969. Soon, all
system: deep, cosmic, utterly epic. and best enjoyed in the dark. manner of thunderstorms, sea breezes and other such
ambiences were being used as meditative (or in some
cases medicative) music. Thanks to your phone’s built-
bit.ly/kb_lfthos bit.ly/rrbl_stkr in mic, such recordings are now a cinch to capture.

Set the Filter’s Cutoff to 66Hz and Disconnect the Delay from the Main Set the new Sequencer’s Rate to

7 nudge Resonance up to 40% or so.

The sound all but disappears. Add in a Mini
LFO from the module browser, dragging it
to the left of the Filter. Patch the LFO’s
8 Outs and stick a 6-Input Mixer in, with
the Delay routed to input 1 on the Mixer,
and the Mixer’s Master to the 1L(M) jack on
the Main Outs panel. Add another Seq,
9 4.7bpm. Deactivate its Step On/Off
buttons, save 1, 5, and 7. Set step 5’s slider
to G3, and step 7’s slider to C4. The new
Osc’s Range should be 8’. Set your new
topmost Triangle wave to the Filter’s Freq Osc, Filter, Amp, and Delay module below. Filter’s Cutoff to about 165Hz and its Res to
Mod 1 jack, and set Mod Amount to about Patch the new modules as before, sans 60%. Route the existing Mini LFO’s
80%. Next, reduce the Mini LFO’s topmost LFO. Route the second Delay’s “+” Output bottom-most Triangle out to the Filter’s
Rate knob to 0.08 Hz. to the Mixer’s second input channel. Freq Mod 1 and nudge its Amount knob.

Set the Mini LFO’s bottom Rate to Let’s add another Osc, Filter, Amplifier, The new filter’s Cutoff and Resonance

10 0.05Hz. Bring your second Amp’s Gain

knob up a bit and start the second
Sequencer. That second Delay’s Time
needs a push up to, oh, around, 1600ms.
11 and Delay. Route the Osc’s Sawtooth
wave into the Filter, and the FIlter’s Band
Pass Output into the Amp. The Amp’s “+”
Output goes to the Delay, and the Delay’s
12 should be around 206Hz and 20%,
respectively. Route the new LFO’s bottom
Triangle output to the new Filter’s Freq
Mod 1 and nudge the Mod Amount knob.
Your sequencers should be colliding “+” Output into Mixer channel 3. Now, add Set the LFO’s bottom Rate to 0.03Hz.
gently at unpredictable times, with the another Mini LFO and route its topmost Adjust the new Delay’s Time, and tweak
LFO shaping their timbres. Our notes were Triangle Out to the new Amp’s CV Amount your Mixer’s levels until you’ve got the
selected to ensure harmonic coherence. jack. Set the LFO’s topmost Rate to 0.11 Hz. perfect mix. We could listen to this all day!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 29

> make electronic music now / ambient

Operating systems > Step by step 2. Drones and pads

A lot of ambient music is created
with little or no real-time on the
part of the composer.
Yet this isn’t a criticism – the
product is only as interesting as
the system creating it. A
complex, well thought-out
system provides an endless
stream of variation, all only just
under the designer’s control.
Such a system might be
comprised of a handful of tape
loops of varying lengths, as
exemplified by Steve Reich’s
famous composition Come Out
You’ve created an evolving ambient Once Nucleus is instantiated, load up

1 2
from 1966.
patch in Voltage Modular Nucleus and the ambient patch you made in the
Similarly, Brian Eno’s
though it’s pretty interesting as is, it can previous walkthrough (or use our own
aforementioned Discreet Music also serve as a springboard for a more Ambient CM patch). Once loaded, it’ll
consisted of a pair of sequenced complex composition. To do that, you’ll happily play on its own – but that won’t do
Synthi AKS melodies – each a need to open it up in your DAW of choice. at all, so fire up an instance of Alpha CM on
different length – played through Once again, we’re using Tracktion’s a second track and find the preset patch
equalisers and tape machines. Waveform Free. called PAD-Melencholy-TEG.
Irv Teibel’s Tintinnabulation
consisted of primitive computer-
generated bell tones – the
listener was instructed to play
the record at whatever speed
they liked.
Today, it’s fashionable for
modular synthesists to create
elaborate self-playing patches,
but such techniques are decades
old – Monkee Mickey Dolenz, for
example, enjoyed patching his
Moog’s sequencers to provide
background music at parties.

Making sure your metronome is Let’s add another synth – this time let

3 switched off, arm your Alpha CM track

and engage recording. Give it a good
while before bringing any notes in – we
waited nearly a minute – and play and
4 it be Thorn CM, using the PAD Mist
patch. Again, you should be quite reserved
in what you play in, with only occasional
sustained notes adding a bit of interest.
hold some long, sustained notes in the key
of C Major. We stopped recording at just
over 02:39.

> Step by step 3. Get real

TUTORIAL
FILES

Many classic ambient recordings were Though we want to avoid creating any Finally, we’ll record some gently

1 made with acoustic or electric

instruments, and even more combine
electronic, acoustic, and electric
instrumentation. Use any old thing, from
2 sense of defined structure for our
ambient track, a bit of percussion can add
some atmosphere, so let’s grab a hand
drum and record a few whacks onto a new
3 tinkling chimes onto another track.
We’ll also try shaking them rhythmically.
Incidentally, all of the acoustic sounds
we’ve recorded can be found among the
kids’ toys to cheap ‘n’ cheerful recorders! audio track. It doesn’t sound like much audio files included in the Tutorials folder
No mic? Use your phone! Here, we’re right now, but it’s enough to loop and save at filesilo.co.uk and dragged straight into
tracking Tibetan singing bowls and bells. for later. your project.

30 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 ambient / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Get it together

TUTORIAL
FILES

We’ve now got enough material, so We want the instruments to fade in We need a little something more as

1 let’s start arranging our project. We’ll

begin by muting our three most recent
tracks – the hand drum and chimes. To
save some time, we’ve created a stereo
2 and out very slowly and deliberately.
As our bowls and bells begin to fade out,
we’ll bring our first chimes recording in at
around 2:46. It has a natural fade-in, but
3 our chimes fade out, so go back up to
your Alpha CM track and play a low,
droning note or two just after the 3:00
mark. An ambient track ought to have
sub-mix of our Tibetan bowl and bell we’ve used our DAW’s clip fade function to some actual ambience, so instantiate
recordings, which we’ll place at around bring it in even more gradually. Reverberate CM on an aux and call up the
two minutes into the project. Chamber preset.

Set the reverb’s Dry/Wet mix fully wet. Using your DAW’s clip fade functions, Consider sending your second chimes

4 Now, unmute and send the hand drum

track into the new aux bus. Crank the
Send, drenching the drums in reverb. Go
ahead and move your drum clip out to
5 fade the drum loop slowly into the
mix, let it play for a while and fade it out
again, just as slowly. Unmute your second
chimes clip. Loop it, and fade it in as your
6 clip through the reverb, as well. While
you’re at it, a bit of delay on, say, the
Tibetan bowls and bells might serve to
smooth out some of the rough edges.
around 3:30 or so and loop it until just drum clip fades out. You can sync the Ditto for the first chimes track. Now sit
around the 5:00 mark. clips, but we’ve elected to leave them as-is. back, relax, and enjoy the music!

POWER TIP

The Aleatoric Era > Instant ambient

Composer Terry Today, this sort of musical indeterminacy We’re going to let you in on a
Riley’s famous 1964 has become something of a fad among secret: you can make a
piece In C was a electronic musicians, and the term used to staggeringly good ambient track in
groundbreaking describe it – aleatoric – is used to describe an instant and you can do it without
spending a penny. How? By
performance piece pretty much any randomly generated noise.
downloading the free and open
consisting of 53 However, ‘modern’ aleatoric music is actually source Paulstretch. This infamous
musical phrases nearly a century old, coming to prominence at app can stretch any audio file by
ranging in length, the hands of adventurous composers like 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
up to 32 beats. Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, Pierre Boulez, times. We’re not kidding. It has
Performers would Karlheinz Stockhausen. become a favourite among
choose which of these phrases were to be Some of the very first widely available experimental musicians, sound
played and when each phrase would begin, all computer music applications were dedicated designers, and Youtubers, and used
to create ambient bliss from all
against the backdrop of repeating C notes on a to producing a series of semi-randomly
manner of sources ranging from
piano or some other chromatic percussion generated musical events, often based on only Justin Bieber tracks to clips from
instrument. Performers might sometimes minimal human input. These days a sequencer The Simpsons. Grab your copy
omit some bits, but all of those bits were to be is hardly considered complete without some from http://hypermammut.
played in order. sort of aleatoric or random pattern generator. sourceforge.net/paulstretch/.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 31

> sound design / recreate famous 70s synth sounds

An Ending (Ascent) > Step by step Trademark Eno pads

Brian Eno
Year: 1983 (also used earlier)
Original Synth: Possibly Yamaha
DX7, but likely Yamaha CS-80
Plugins used: Thorn, HY-FX CM, Panagement
TUTORIAL
FILES
Originally recorded for a documentary on the
Apollo moon missions entitled For All Mankind,
An Ending was taken from Brian Eno’s 1983 studio Open ThornCM, and load the Add depth using the dry layer.
album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and
was written by Eno, alongside production from his
1 Neutrino preset; an Eno-
esque pad perfect for
recreating this sound. Shorten the Amp
2 Add HY-FX CM to the channel,
then choose the Pitch Shifter
effect. Turn the left and right Shift dials
Env Release down to 30%, then record to their lowest; you’ll hear the dry pad
brother Roger Eno and long time collaborator the pad to audio twice; once with shift down an octave. The layer needs to
Daniel Lanois. ThornCM’s reverb effect enabled, once be tuned down by two octaves, so
without. Use both to create the sound. duplicate the plugin to shift it.
Specific details on precisely which synth was
used to create the track aren’t totally clear, with the
then brand new Yamaha DX7 being used on
various tracks from that album, but Lanois himself
stated that “the main synth was a Yamaha CS-80”,
making it possible that a combination of synths
was used to create the final piece.
Eno was a famous user of effects from the likes
Duplicate the wet pad. Use Lower the high layer to -6dB
of Eventide, Lexicon and AMS for sound design
purposes to create his famed “shimmer” effect, so 3 the duplicate for the high
layer; add another HY-FX
Pitch Shifter, then shift it up an octave.
4 to balance. Embellish the
stereo width using Auburn’s
Panagement. Group the mid and high
we’ll be showing you how to make our homage to Shifting the pitch up with the plugin, not layers, then load the plugin. Push Width
our DAW, gives a unique effect. Add to 200%, with Mono to Stereo at 50%.
this sound using ThornCM, alongside some effects another HY-FX and select the Reverse Reducing Wet/Dry control to 50% adds
processing from the CM library. Delay for a shimmering, ethereal feel. width, without it sounding over the top.

The title track from Tangerine Dream’s fifth studio The record was a surprise top 20 hit in the UK, but
album was recorded in late 1973, and was heavily didn’t fare so well in Tangerine Dream’s home country
based around the Moog Modular synth the trio of Germany, with less than 6,000 units sold. Phaedra
purchased with their advance from then-fledgling was the first TG record that featured their sequencer-
Virgin Records. Legend has it the band spent hours based sound, with an external sequencer driving the
before each day’s recording tuning the Moog; early Moog as a substitute for bass guitar. We’ll use
analogue synths were incredibly sensitive to ThornCM, alongside the HY-SeqCollection2 CM to
temperature and humidity. make our own spin on the legendary Phaedra bass.

Phaedra
Tangerine Dream > Step by step Sequence bass
Year: 1974
Original Synth:
Moog Modular
Plugins used:
ThornCM, TUTORIAL
FILES
HY-SeqCollection2

Set your DAW’s BPM to 149. Open the sequencer, then set Open ThornCM and shape the

1 Load HY-SeqCollection2 CM
onto a fresh MIDI channel,
then set it to provide MIDI data to
2 root note to D, with root shift
enabled – this’ll match the key
of the sequence to the original track (D
3 sound itself. Set the Filter
Type to Fat LP24, and bring
Cutoff down to 2kHz, Resonance at 25%.
ThornCM (loaded on a second channel) minor). Set the sequencer Clock to 1/8th Push Drive to around 16dB to make the
by choosing HY-SeqCollection2 as the notes to match the tempo, then program gain up. Finally, assign a slow 8/1 LFO to
MIDI From source – see the HY-SC2 in a pattern similar to the original by ThornCM’s Fine Tuning, stimulating the
manual for DAW-specific instructions. setting Pitch Value for each step. natural pitch drift of an analogue synth.

32 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 70s synth sounds / sound design <

Classic rockers Pink Floyd made it their Floyd’s sonic tapestries. The lines between
mission to employ the latest technology of acoustic, electric and synthetic sounds were
their day. From elaborate surround sound PA less distinct.
rigs to experimental onstage lighting, the Indeed, this new album – Wish You Were
band were hell-bent on providing their Here – demonstrated a singular maturity in the
audiences with new experiences. use of the synthesiser. Here, notes – not sound
This obsession with bleeding-edge tech all effects – came first. And yet the sounds were
but ensured that they’d be among the utterly remarkable – tones and textures that
vanguard of electronic rockers. Their initial would eventually become indelibly etched
experimentation with EMS Synthis on their into the lexicon of rock music.
landmark LP The Dark Side of the Moon, with Every track on Wish You Were Here is a
its electronic showcase On the Run, only classic, but none more so than Shine On You
hinted at what was to come. When they Crazy Diamond, the ambitious nine-part epic
returned to Abbey Road for the follow up in dedicated to and inspired by the band’s tragic
Shine On You ’75, the group’s keyboardist brought along a former frontman, Syd Barrett.
Minimoog and ARP String Ensemble to A multi-segmented, multi-layered
Crazy Diamond supplement the band’s beloved EMS Synthis. masterwork, Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Pink Floyd By about this time, the band – and features the band performing at its peak, not
keyboardist Rick Wright, in particular – had least Mr Wright, whose keyboard playing on
Year: 1975 evolved the role of the synthesiser far beyond this track is widely regarded as some of his
Original Synth: Moog the overtly futuristic, even goofy sounds best work. His yearning, slightly wistful brass-
favoured by many artists of the day. like Minimoog passage in the song’s third
Minimoog Instead, the electronics had become fully section is nothing short of perfection. Tasteful
Plugin used: u-he Bazille integrated and interwoven into the and beautifully crafted.

> Step by step Shine OnYou Crazy Diamond’s brassy lead

TUTORIAL
FILES

Wright’s sublime, brass-like patch on Going to the FX: Delay section, lower- We’ll need to crank Osc 2’s PD knob.

1 Shine On You Crazy Diamond is proof

that less is indeed more, particularly when
the keys are being played by a masterful
performer. The original was made using
2 right, we’ll switch out the delay effect.
We’ll disconnect the cable running from
Osc 1 to Out 1, and route it instead from the
same Osc 1 output to the top-left Filter
3 Next, go to Osc 1’s Modify knob and
turn it to -2.00, and then set Osc 2’s Modify
(Fine Tune) knob to 2.00 to thicken the
sound. Now we’ll start shaping the sound
the venerable Minimoog, a simplified input. We’ll then patch the Filter’s LP24 with the Filter. We want the sound to be
variant of the company’s massive modular Output to the Out 1 jack in its place. We’ll brighter on higher notes, so crank the Key
systems. We’re going to use a far more patch Osc 2’s Output into the Filter, too. Follow full.
complex instrument, u-he’s Bazille CM.

Next, turn Res up to about 19.00. Now Go to Env 1. Set its Attack to 33.00, its Set LFO 1’s Rate to 2.20. Turn LFO 1’s

4 turn the Cutoff all the way down. Run

a cable from Env 2 up to the Filter’s lower-
left jack, and turn the knob above that jack
up to 38.00. This allows Env 2 to control
5 Sustain full, and its Release to about
26.00. The Decay is unimportant here.
Now for some modulation. Go to LFO 1.
Route a cable from its lower-left jack to
6 Amp Mod knob up full to put vibrato
amount under the control of your
keyboard’s modulation wheel. Now, go to
Voice and set Mode to Mono. Go to Glide
the Cutoff. Set Env 2’s Attack slider to both Oscs’ FreqModDepth jacks. Click and set its Amount to 22.00. Re-activate
22.00, and max the Decay. Sustain will be each 50 Semi dropdown and Cents. Crank the delay and tweak it to taste. Use that
about 87.00 and Release roughly 13.00. each FreqModDepth full for vibrato. mod wheel when you play your patch!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 33

> sound design / recreate famous 70s synth sounds

> Step by step I Feel Love Sequence

TUTORIAL
FILES

I Feel Love
Donna Summer,
Giorgio Moroder Can we recreate the seminal bass Let’s get our basic patch started by

Year: 1977
Original Synth: Moog IIIP
1 sequence from I Feel Love in a mere
six steps? Let’s find out! We’ll fire up
Cherry Audio’s Voltage Modular Nucleus
and click New in the upper-left to clear the
2 routing each Oscillator’s Ramp
Outputs (second from left) to the Filter’s
Audio In. Set one of the Oscillator’s Range
to 32’. Detune one Oscillator’s Freq to
Plugin used: Cherry Audio rack. We’ll go to the Library and get two about -0.04, and the other to 0.04. Route
Oscillators and a Filter module. We’ll add the Filter’s Low Pass (bottom-left) to the
Voltage Modular Nucleus two Envelope Generators, and an Amplifier’s Input. Patch the Amplifier’s ‘+’
Amplifier, as well. Output to the Main Out’s 1L(M) jack.

It is all but impossible to underestimate the

impact of I Feel Love. Released in the
summer of 1977, it was a seminal slab of
electronic disco unlike anything that had come
before it. Famously, one of David Bowie’s
sessions for the Low album was interrupted by a
breathless Brian Eno who, having just heard I
Feel Love, declared that it was “going to change
the sound of music for the next 15 years.”
He wasn’t wrong, but he was guessing a bit
short of the mark, as echoes of I Feel Love have
never faded, with musicians today still trying to
recapture the magic of the original.
Ironically, the song’s longevity was
Next, patch the rightmost Envelope Move the slider for step 5 to ‘F2’ and

3 4
something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. When
producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte Generator’s Positive Output (bottom- the slider for step 7 to ‘G2’. These
right) to the Amplifier’s CV Amount jack. aren’t the exact notes, but they are close
began work on Summer’s fifth LP, they
Patch the rightmost Envelope’s Positive enough, and avoid copyright
envisioned a concept album on which each song Output to the Filter’s Freq Mod 1 jack. Go entanglements. Patch the Sequencer’s CV
represented a specific decade, with the final cut to the Library and get an Eight-Step Output to both Oscs’ Pitch CV jacks. Patch
being an attempt to create something futuristic. Sequencer module. Set its Rate to 125bpm. its Gate Out to both Envelopes’ Gate In.
They couldn’t have known how right they were! Use its Step On/Off buttons to deactivate Press Start on the sequencer. Yuck. Set
In order to create their prognostic platter, steps 2, 4, 6, and 8. both Envs’ Sustain sliders to nil.
they chose to eschew the typical
instrumentation of disco music – telegraph
guitars, thick strings, electric bass, and horns –
and bring in a massive Moog IIIP system
belonging to classical musician Eberhard
Schoener. Luckily, Schoener’s assistant Robby
Wedel accompanied the Moog to lend a hand
with the immense technical requirements of the
system. Most significantly, he showed the
producers how it could be synchronised to tape
in order to record multiple tracks in perfect
rhythmic lock-step.
Wedel’s demonstration was a revelation,
allowing Moroder and Bellotte to create a
complete arrangement using little else but the
Moog. The bass sequence, the snares, hi-hats –
all were products of the modular synth. The
Set the right Envelope’s Decay and Patch the LFO’s top Triangle Out to the

5 6
results were a clean, open mix that allowed
Release to around 260ms. Set the FIlter’s Freq Mod 2 jack. Nudge its
Summer the freedom to lay down an
Filter’s Cutoff to 600Hz or so, and its knob slightly right. Bring in a Delay and set
astonishingly-evocative vocal performance. Resonance to about 33. Set its Freq Mod 1 its Time to 120ms and Mix fully Wet. Patch
knob to 65%. Now set the right Envelope’s the Amplifier’s ‘+’ Output to the Delay’s
Decay to around 192ms and the Release to Input, and the Delay’s ‘+’ Output to the
over 260ms. Bring in a Mini LFO and crank Main Outs 1R. Patch the CV Source’s Pitch
its top Rate fully down. to the Oscs’ Pitch CV to transpose.

34 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 70s synth sounds / sound design <

> Step by step Lead line from The Model

TUTORIAL
FILES

The Model
Kraftwerk It’s difficult to know what synths were Go over to the browser at the bottom

Year: 1978
Original Synth:
1 actually used to create the various
timbres heard on The Model, though it is
widely suspected that either the
Minimoog or Polymoog were used for
2 and click AlphaCM 1 to bring up the
preset banks. Load up the patch called Z_
Init. Go to Osc 1 and select Sawtooth for
wave slot A. Turn the Wave knob fully to
Unknown – likely some sounds. In truth, it doesn’t actually the A position. Do the same with Osc 2.
matter, as nearly any two-oscillator synth Next up, push Osc 1’s Detune up to just
Moog Minimoog will do the job. We’re going to use under 10 o’clock.
LinPlug’s AlphaCM.
or Polymoog
Plugin used: Alpha CM

We’ve no doubt that there are few readers of

this bookazine unfamiliar with the name
Kraftwerk. Moreover, it’d be a fairly safe
assumption that most of you already have an
idea of what they sounded like. Yet it may come
as something of a surprise to learn that the
smartly-dressed synthpop pioneers only
achieved their signature sound after years of
evolution. Indeed, when mainmen Ralf Hütter
and Florian Schneider formed the band in 1970,
there was nary a synthesiser in sight! As a
matter of fact, Kraftwerk’s first two (eponymous)
LPs were rooted firmly in the experimental Let’s go to the Amp section and nudge It might be a good idea to push the
‘Krautrock’ style that was popular at the time of
their formation. Synths would come into play on
the third album, Ralf und Florian, on which both
3 the envelope’s Attack up to just below
9 o’clock. Release should be just under
halfway. Sustain and Decay can be
cranked to full. This provides our sound
4 Drive up a little bit for some faux
analogue grit. Now for the main bit. We’ll
set the Cutoff knob to 10 o’clock, and we’ll
push the Reso(nance) knob up to 11 o’clock
the Minimoog and EMS Synthi AKS would with a soft attack, and a bit of a fade-out or so. This will help us get the
appear. Still rooted in Germanic psychedelia, when the key is released. Now, let’s move characteristic ‘wow’ once we bring the
Ralf und Florian nevertheless saw the to the Filter section, where we’ll select 24 filter’s envelope into play. On that, crank
Düsseldorf duo’s first tentative steps into as the mode. the Depth knob full.
electronic ambience and minimalism.
Even the band’s breakthrough, 1974’s
Autobahn retained such conventional
instrumentation as guitar, flute, and violin and,
though now seen a seminal electronic album,
Autobahn also contains elements of ambience
and kosmische musik.
Still, the repetitious rhythms of the title track
were a taste of things to come. By the time The
Man-Machine was released in 1978, the
transformation was complete – Kraftwerk were
dedicated to creating their signature brand of
electronic pop music. This seminal synthpop
sound was best exemplified by The Model.
Overlooked at the time of its release, The Model
would belatedly find favour in 1981, when it was
re-issued as the b-side to the band’s then-
current single, Computer Love. Re-re-issued as Next, let’s shape our filter envelope. Here, we’ve tweaked the filter
an A-side, The Model topped the UK singles
chart in 1982.
An exercise in minimalism, The Model is a
5 We’ll start by nudging the Attack to
just under 9 o’clock. The Decay should be
set to just over the 9 o’clock position. We’ll
reduce the Sustain to just under the 2
6 envelope’s Decay a bit to fit our
playing style. Now, we can sweeten the
sound with a bit of echo, courtesy of PSP’s
cmDelay, on which we’ve selected the
near-perfect pop construct, with a simple o’clock position. We’ll set our Release to patch called Basic Middle Delay. We’ve
progression, spare percussion, and a pretty just under the 1 o’clock position. That’s activated Tempo Sync, and tweaked both
much instantly memorable melody played in pretty close, though only playing the riff Feedback and Mix levels. This is a good
octaves throughout. will tell. start – you can fine-tune it as you see fit.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 35

> classic interview / kraftwerk’s ralf hütter

WELCOME TO
THE MACHINE
In a rare 1981 interview, Kraftwerk’s Ralf
Hütter reveals what really happened in their
legendary Kling Klang studios
Ralf Ralf Hütter first met Florian Schneider in “Then we tried acoustic drummers as we “When we first moved in, we started
the Dusseldorf Academy, Germany, in 1968, turned our attention to more rhythmic music, recording with stereo tape machines and
where courses were being held in musical and found that amplifying drums with contact cassette recorders in preparation for our first
improvisation. From this essentially classical microphones was desirable, although not record. The master tapes were then taken to the
background they teamed up to try their newly readily accepted by the players. recording studio for final mixdown. This allowed
acquired skills with experiments in electronic “We started off ‘Kling Klang’ studio in 1970, us to be ‘self producing’, and we did another
sound that began by simply using amplifiers, which really marked the beginning of Kraftwerk. three LPs in this way.
echo machines and feedback effects. The studio was, in fact, just an empty room in a “In those days successful musicians used
“Not only were we interested in Musique workshop premises that was a part of an important producers to launch their records, but
Concrete,” he says, “but also in playing organ industrial area in Düsseldorf. First of all we fitted we took on every aspect of production
tone clusters and flute feedback sounds that sound isolation material into the 60 square ourselves,” says Ralf. “It’s very encouraging in
added variety to the repeated note sequences metre room, and we now use other adjoining England today to see people bringing out their
that we recorded and mixed on tape. rooms which we use to create our instruments. own cassette labels. From the start we used

36 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 kraftwerk’s ralf hütter / classic interview <

cassettes for recording ‘in the field’ and mixed Crew Kling Klang The Robotniks
these sounds with our instruments in the studio The Kling Klang studio equipment continued to “We like to portray the things we do on a day-to-
[Kling Klang].” be designed by all four musicians and since their day basis in our music. We did try a space lab
knowledge of electronics was limited, they kind of set once, but always prefer these days to
Dawn of the instruments employed a full-time engineer to make and relate to everyday technology, such as cars,
“In 1971 Kraftwerk was still without a drummer, service equipment as well as a mathematician to trains and other human-controlled machines.
so I bought a cheap drum machine which had devise the computer programs. “Our ‘trip’ for these current performances is
some preset dance rhythms. By changing the “Our daily schedule of work lasts some 8-10 based on robots. The idea of the robot came
basic sounds with tape echo and filtering we hours in the studio,” says Ralf. “We don’t regard from an American tour, during which we started
made the rhythm tracks for our second album. ourselves just as musicians but as Musik- to become automatic and ‘robotic’ ourselves:
Our instrumental sounds came from home- Arbeiter [musical workers], and we designed new pieces were written in 5-10 minutes. One
made oscillators and an old Hammond and built up our complete portable studio set evening in a discotheque I wrote Showroom
organ that gave us varied tonal harmonies with that includes the stage backdrops, curtains, Dummies like that.
its drawbars. lighting, frames, staging and stereo PA system “We were intrigued that the Russian word
“Commercial synthesisers came fairly late into as well as the instrument equipment stands. ‘robotnik’ means ‘worker’ and that it so
Germany and it was not until the third album “Multi-wired cable looms are used for quick much related to our ideas. We generally keep
that we started to use them. By then, Wolfgang dismantling of each section of the movable our audience contact to a metaphysical
Flür had joined to play a custom-built drum instrument frames. The players stand on metal level because we have little time to look
system: he was our first percussion player to box staging that hides the mass of wiring. around - although we are very much aware of
accept electronically produced drums. Fortunately, we are all about the same stature, their response.
“Electronic music was quite new as a so each of the four players’ sections of the “We agreed that the way musical equipment
medium in the early ‘70s, and many people instrument gear is built to be suitable for any of is designed in the future could be as an
were just starting, like Can. I think we were one us. All the instrument racks are standard 19” extension from the human, with suitable
of the first groups to have an electric drummer, width and pack away into cases for transit.” feedback between machine and man,” says Ralf.
with Wolfgang Flür. As well as the custom “The emphasis on keyboards could turn to
drum console, we now have two sets of drums Static electricity instruments, controlled by some part of the
that consist of six metal pads triggered by Although it is very easy for electronic bands to body, using piezo pick-ups, special electrodes
metal sticks. These are not touch sensitive, so use pre-recording tapes to achieve a similar and heat-sensitive elements.”
accents and dynamics come from separate sound live to the one they emit on record,
volume foot pedals.” Kraftwerk play most of their pieces Let’s go electro
A year later Karl Bartos became the fourth completely live. “Electro-music is a more suitable title than
Kraftwerk musician. He also believed that music Discussing their live show, Ralf has this to say: electronic music for the way music in general is
could be made satisfactorily through entirely “Many people move or jump about on stage going,” says Ralf. “The instruments of electro-
electronic means. these days; it’s important for our music that we music help to liberate people’s creativity,
“We feel music is more a product of the do not do this. Our rather static performance is allowing individuals to use studio technology in
imagination,” explains Ralf, “and the instruments necessary for emphasising the ‘robotic’ aspect their home for almost any sound they want.
are made as a result of everything we do. We of our music. “When we select an instrument sound, we
don’t see ourselves as specific instrumentalists - “The way in which we physically laid out the don’t worry if, for example, the strings are not
I am not just a keyboard player, nor is Wolfgang equipment, besides being functional, was to authentic – we simply take the sounds we like!
simply a drummer, this is too limiting for each imply the idea of the ‘man man machine On stage we use sheet music, graphic diagrams
player who has developed skills in making machine’ that we’ve talked about, that one and settings which cue in our pieces to trigger
harmonies and melodies as well as rhythms.” aspect doesn’t dominate the other.” devices and adjust instruments, as well as

“Our static performance is

necessary for emphasising
the robotic aspect of
our music”
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 37
> classic interview / kraftwerk’s ralf hütter

reminding us of note sequences, lead melodies,

harmonies and rhythmic structures.
“Our latest album, Computer World, was
prepared over the last three years along with
“We generally keep
the present Kling Klang studio. The pieces in
many ways ‘compose themselves’ by means of
our audience contact
us finding sounds from experimenting with
interfacing and settings. to a metaphysical
“During the week, we work from five in the
evening until one or two at night. During other
times in the day we do the Kraftwerk
level…”
administration and liase with our engineers
and visitors.”

Look to the future

“In the future we shall try to make our
instruments smaller, with more digital control,”
says Ralph of where the band are heading.
“Micro-electronics should make our set-up
more flexible and allow us to perform on
smaller stages.
“We aim to create a total sound, not to
make music in the traditional sense with
complex harmonies. A minimalist approach is
much more important for us: we spend about a
month on the sound and five minutes on the
chord changes!
“Germany has no predominent pop-music
scene, unlike England, so we have a thriving
communication between electronic music
listeners and performers. Cassette tapes are
promoting this as well.”
The 1981 Kraftwerk tour is about visit France
and America before coming to an end in East
Germany, Russia and finally Japan. Meanwhile,
the computer world continues apace – and
Kraftwerk will no doubt have made a significant
contribution to its musical development.

Ralf was talking to Mike Beecher in an interview

from Electronics and Music Maker magazine

HOW TO
BEFRIEND ROBOTS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
In 1981, Ralf Hütter explained his top tips for performing with machines

1 2 3
LET THE MACHINES BLEND IN WITH THE REMEMBER: MAN AND
HELP YOU MACHINES MACHINE ARE EQUAL
“Playing with machines is “So many people move or even “Some people perform with
difficult – a lot of people jump around on stage these their musical machines built
speed up or slow down doing days and yet it’s important for up high around them in an
it. The friendship we create our music that we do not do impressive way – we prefer the
with them makes them an this – our rather static low-profile image, bringing
extension of the musician: if performance is also necessary man and machine together in
one instrument breaks down for emphasising the ‘robotic’ a ‘friendly partnership’ of
we are still able to continue.” aspect of our music.” musical creation.”

38 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 eighties electronic / contents <

The 1980s
What a decade for electronic music
the 80s was, as it exploded onto the
world stage by way of synth pop,
before disappearing under a digital 40 Interview: Vince Clarke
haze towards the middle of the 48 Make Electronic Music Now:
decade, only to be reborn as dance Synth pop
music and ‘electronica’. And behind it
52 Interview: Gary Numan
all, the beating hearts of the analogue
synth and drum machine… 60 Make Electronic Music Now:
Industrial

RECREATE FAMOUS 80
SYNTH SOUNDS
46 Soft Cell & Depeche Mode
47 Yazoo & Vangelis
57 Visage & Gary Numan
58 Ultravox & The Human League
59 Talk Talk & Kraftwerk
40 52 64 Prince & Michael Jackson
65 Orbital & Europe
66 Eurythmics
67 a-ha
68 New Order
69 Pet Shop Boys
64 66 70 Vangelis

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 39

 > interview / vince clarke
Photographed by Doron Gild

40 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 vince clarke / interview <

VINCE
CLARKE
From the 80s on, Vince Clarke
redefined Electronic Music with
Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure.
And with every success, he has most
definitely put the word ‘pop’ in synth…

Mention Essex these days and most people But we can go back even further than that. To 1980,
automatically think of Lauren, Megan, Gemma, when Basildon school friends Vince Clarke, Andy
Diags and Arg as they pit their wits against the Fletcher and Martin Gore joined Dave Gahan in the
mighty challenges of modern life – buying shoes, strangely named Depeche Mode. In quick succession,
using cutlery and the complexity of Ab Initio the band signed to a fledgling record label called Mute,
quantum computation of bulk properties. But, released three singles, and made the UK Top Ten.
believe it or not, this much-maligned county has In 1981, they appeared on Top of the Pops for
had a sizeable part to play in the development of the first time. This was the classic four-lads-in-a-band
British Electronic Music. line-up, but there was no posturing, no guitars and no
There’s the Prodigy, of course; formed in Braintree. drum kits – just bleeping synths accompanied by the
Underworld are based in and have occasionally incessant rhythms of a Korg KR55 and a ridiculously
namechecked Romford; frontman Karl Hyde refers to young-looking Dave Gahan introducing the world to
Romford as his ‘New York’. There was a dark side to ‘geek dancing’.
Essex’s history, too: it was the entry-point for much of This was proper pop music – effervescent, catchy,
the E that landed here during the rave years. singalong, verse-chorus pop music, played by boys

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 41

> interview / vince clarke

who looked good on bedroom walls – but its

sound was electronic.
Unfortunately, it seems that not everyone
“I’ve always written on the guitar – I still
was happy with the ‘boy band’ success. Founder
member and main songwriter Vince Clarke do, even today. I’m not a good-enough
– Clarke was responsible for the still-superb Just
Can’t Get Enough – left after one album. Initially
teaming up with fellow Basildon alumnus Alison
keyboard player to write on the synth”
Moyet, he scored another series of pristine hit
singles – Only You, Don’t Go and Nobody’s Diary
all made the Top Three – before forming Erasure
in 1985 with singer Andy Bell. Well over 40 time, but they didn’t play any instruments – me outfits. Then you had to spend six months in a
singles and 25-million album sales later, the duo and my brothers and sister ended up going to fancy studio somewhere. But when I heard OMD
are still going strong, most recently with the this music club on a Saturday morning. I was and The Normal, I thought, ‘I can do that. I can
album The Neon. messing around on a guitar, but I’d also come write songs like that’.
Clarke left Essex many years ago and is now across a piano in the local church hall; I used to “Obviously, I’d lived through punk, and I’d
based in Brooklyn, where he puts together the go to Boys’ Brigade there.” heard the Sex Pistols and the Stranglers, but that
nuts and bolts of Erasure’s music on a large still sounded a bit ‘rock ’n’ roll’. Synths sounded
collection of vintage synths, in the midst of No synths? different. They sounded interesting. When
which he spent a morning with us, talking about VC: “I started writing songs and playing in bands you’re a kid, that’s what you’re looking for;
obsession, sequencers and the timeless joy of a when I was about 15, but it was very much in the something that captures your imagination.”
catchy pop song. traditional framework of guitar-bass-drums. The
first time I really remember taking notice of a When we speak to Gary Numan [see page 52],
Is there any evidence to back up our ‘Essex synth was when I heard The Normal [the name he talks about taking his guitar riffs and
music’ theory? Something in the water, Daniel Miller used to release records on his own playing them on a Moog synthesiser. Is that
ancient ley lines… decent music shops? tiny independent label, Mute; his bleak, what you did… transfer your music to this
Vince Clarke: “Ha ha! The main reason I became minimalist synthesised soundscapes fused new medium?
interested in music was boredom. It was the same technology and punk, and were hugely VC: “I’ve always written on the guitar – I still do,
for most of the people I knew, and I think it was influential on the late-70s musical underground]. even today. I’m not a good-enough keyboard
the same in towns and cities up and down the “You’d also got the early singles by the player to write on the synth, and I’d probably get
country. Basildon didn’t have a cinema, a theatre… Human League [the much-admired Travelogue distracted, twiddling knobs and going off on
not even a restaurant. Music was something to album was released a year before the chart- tangents.
do. It was something to get excited about. topping success of Dare] and OMD. In fact, it “The problem is that I’m not really a very
“Watching Top of the Pops was one of the was OMD that convinced me to switch to synths. good guitar player, either, so all the songs I wrote
most important events in any kid’s week back in The first time I heard Almost, which was the when we first formed Depeche Mode were
the 70s. I watched it religiously and loved the B-side to their single Electricity. based on simple chords. And they were firmly
way that the glam bands stood out against the “Up until then, even though I loved music, it’d rooted in what people would think of as the
greyness of that era. Yes, you had Bowie and seemed like a world far, far away from Basildon. classic song structure of intro-verse-chorus etc.
Roxy Music, but there was also Sweet and Alice Yeah, it was great listening to Sweet on Top of “When it came to playing those songs on
Cooper. Great songs, too. the Pops, but that would never be me; I couldn’t our newly acquired synths, we quickly realised
“Although we weren’t a particularly musical be a rock star. For a start, being a rock star was that we only had monosynths, so we couldn’t
family – my parents listened to music all the expensive… you needed all that gear and the actually play any chords. I think that’s where

Photographed by Doron Gild

The trackball seems to be making a comeback, but futurist Numan never stopped using his in the first place

42 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 vince clarke / interview <

Photographed by Andy Sturmey

With 35+ years and 18 albums
under their belt, Erasure are
still going strong and flying the
flag for analogue technology

I got into the idea of all these melody lines and

counter-melody lines – I needed to suggest
Kit list
chords and chord-changes without being able HARDWARE
to play any chords. Apple Mac
“In the early days, we didn’t even have Eurorack system
any way of linking the gear together or Synton Syrinx
sequencing it, so everything had to be played RSF Kobol
live. Getting everything in time took a lot of Roland Jupiter-4
work. I wonder if that’s why I’m still a bit Roland Jupiter-8
nervous when I do gigs; I still worry that Roland System-700
something’s gonna go wrong.” ARP 2500
ARP 2600
For years, you were well-known for running a “Even after I started working with the BBC Micro, I would Polyfusion Modular
BBC Micro and the UMI sequencer at the occasionally switch back to the MC-4. It’s just so tight”
heart of your setup. When did you first come SOFTWARE
across the BBC, and did it radically alter the Apple Logic
sound of your music? could play anything I wanted. Waves Platinum bundle
VC: “To be honest, we need to go back before “That was when the electronic door Sonnox Oxford Dynamics
the computer and talk about the sequencer. really opened and I got a glimpse of what
Apple Alchemy
That was the real revolutionary step for me… was possible. Even after I started working
Logic EXS24
that was the eureka moment. Daniel Miller with the BBC Micro, I would occasionally switch
Vember Audio Surge
introduced us to the sequencer when we signed back to the MC-4. It’s just so tight.”
u-he Ace
to Mute and, after I left Depeche Mode, I started
Soundtoys plugins
writing with a Roland MC-4. There’s been a lot written about why you left
“For me, that was more important that the Depeche Mode. Did you enjoy the success
computer or the synth, because it was the first that came with the band?
time I’d been allowed to make music that I VC: “It was great to be in the studio and properly
couldn’t physically play. I wasn’t limited by how record our music. To hear it on the radio for the
good a musician I was. Like I said, I was never a first time. To find out you were in the charts.
great keyboard player, but with the sequencer, I Being on Top of the Pops, the programme

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 43

> interview / vince clarke

Has modern
technology
made the live
show easier?
“The short answer is yes. I no longer
have to carry around a bunch of synths
that are 40 years old… but that also
means I’ve not got very much to do on
stage. I’ve never been able to dance,
which is why I use the guitar.
“Eurorack is possibly the way
forward. I’ve got a few bits in the studio
and they did get used on the new albums.
What I really like about them is that, like
my old synths, they’re slightly
unpredictable; you expect them to do
‘this’, but the sound is way over here.
Then you’ve got the new generation of
‘analogue’ synths. Analogue sound without
the danger that you’ll damage a transistor
when it falls out of the tour bus. There’s a

Photographed by Andy Sturmey

chance I might be taking one or two of
those out on this tour.
“Even though I can’t dance, it
would be nice to twiddle the odd knob
now and again.”

that had been such a big part of my life. Playing

gigs was great, and watching the audience grow “I didn’t know anything about
so quickly. Without a doubt, it was a very
exciting time.” harmonies and all that kind of stuff.
Had you got an idea of what you wanted to do
after you left? I learned about that as we went along”
VC: “Not at all. There was no big plan. When I
met Alison and we recorded Only You, it was
nothing more than a rough idea – a demo.” Only You with Yazoo; right through to the Having said that, your later tracks can show a
massive run of Erasure singles like much darker, melancholy side of Erasure…
If you look back at your singles career Sometimes, Victim of Love and A Little VC: “Yeah, there’s a sadness there.”
– I Just Can’t Get Enough with Depeche Mode, Respect – it’s impossible to ignore just how
catchy they are. Had you always worked with Are you inspired by anything? The age of
the idea that singles needed to be instant, austerity? The failure of global politics?
memorable… hummable? VC: “[Chuckles] If anything, I was inspired by
VC: “Honestly, it was never anything so cabin fever, like most of our albums. I’ll be in the
calculated. And I think that if you do sit down studio, messing around, and it feels like the right
and say, ‘I’m going to write a catchy single’, it’ll time to make some music. I get together with
never happen. Andy and an album will emerge, but neither of
“I don’t know how to explain it. I loved us has any idea of what it will sound like.”
music and I’d been listening to it all my life.
What I had worked out was how to ‘make’ a Tell us about your basement studio, the
song… a strong song. I didn’t know anything famous Cabin?
about harmonies and all that kind of stuff. VC: “Since me and my wife moved to Brooklyn
I learned about that as we went along. – she’s American, that’s how we ended up in the
“Every time I went in the studio, I would US – the studio has been in the basement. It’s not
always learn something new, and that then a huge space, and there’s not really room to set
Vince bought loads of BBC Micros so he’d always have gave me the opportunity to try different up a proper vocal booth; Andy tends to record
one available. You might say he Just Can’t Get Enough things out.” his vocals elsewhere and then send them over.

44 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 vince clarke / interview <

“I even had to get rid of a few synths when

I set it up, mainly the spares that we used to
take out on tour. What I’ve got now is every
“I’ll never stop using analogue synths, no
synth ready to go, all plugged in and running
from Logic.”
matter how good the software gets. They’re
When did you finally get rid of the BBC Micro/ tactile… they don’t always do what you want”
MC-4 combo?
VC: “We used it right up until 2002 or 2003. At
one point, I’d bought about 15 Micros, still in Did it change how your songs sounded? “In terms of effects, that’s much more
their boxes, so I always had another one if VC: “Ha ha! The softsynths didn’t sound as good. weighted towards software. Most of the Logic
something went wrong. The actual technical I know this is very personal for each musician, native stuff is excellent, plus I’ve got Waves and
process of ‘making’ a song didn’t change for but we did do one album entirely with some of the Oxford plugins. I was never a
donkey’s years. I’ve tried MIDI, but I still don’t softsynths and it felt different to me. The quality collector of analogue [effects] hardware like I
think it’s as tight as CV/Gate. Even though I use of the sounds was… just not as good. was with the synths. That got a bit obsessive for
Logic, all the synths are controlled via CV/Gate.” “I have done the comparison test with some a while. I had people all over the world looking
basic models like the Moog, and there’s no for stuff. I think I’m cured… well, I would still like a
Having worked with hardware, outboard, a doubt that the sounds on them are getting Wasp, but that’s it.”
sequencer and cables for so long, was your better all the time. I guess it’s a bit like when
move to Logic a difficult one? Yamaha first introduced a digital synth, the So, analogue synths make all the actual
VC: “It happened when I moved to the US and DX7. At first, digital synths sounded quite crude, noises and you put those noises together
found myself with nothing more than a guitar, a but technology pushed the sounds further with software?
laptop and Logic. We were getting ready to start and further. VC: “Exactly. The two worlds working together. I
work on a new album, so I had to learn Logic “I’ll never stop using analogue synths, have all the synths running live until I’ve got a
and I had to start writing songs. I’m crap at just though, no matter how good the software gets. fairly finished version of the song, then I send
trying to sit down and learn something, but if They’re tactile… they don’t always do what you that to the computer, one synth at a time. As I’ve
there’s something I need to do, I’m very good at want. I like that.” got deeper into Logic, I’ve also started to mess
getting stuck in. around with audio inside the computer. That’s
“The main problem was programming Any soft synths used on the later albums? the side of this technology that really excites
with a mouse, but once I’d mastered that, VC: “A few. Alchemy – which comes with Logic – me. I can take the main ingredients of a song
things settled down. I still wrote my songs provided the odd sound here and there. I think and put them together in a way that would be
on the guitar, but instead of transferring them my intention was to replace them when we impossible in the analogue word… well, it would
to a hardware sequencer, I transferred them started putting the album together, but I never be possible, but it’d take you a hell of a long time
to Logic.” got around to it. to do it.”

As an electronic pioneer, do you still keep

tabs on what’s happening out there?
VC: “Yes and no. I’ve been listening to a lot of
techno; I like that dark groove. I flick through a
lot of stuff on Beatport and find myself
constantly amazed by the way people are
manipulating sound. But what I always find is
that, no matter what genre it is or how many
fancy techniques you’re applying in the studio,
you still need a song. It’s the strength of the song
that makes all the difference.”

Erasure’s The Neon, is out now and check out

Vince’s record label at veryrecords.com.

HEAR MORE

TO SORT

A Little Respect
bit.ly/EraALR
Love You to the Sky
bit.ly/EraLYTTS

WWW

www.erasureinfo.com
Photographed by Doron Gild

soundcloud.com/erasureinfo
Vince and Andy are
playing back-to-back dates twitter.com/erasureinfo
on their UK tour in 2021
facebook.com/erasureinfo

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 45

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

Tainted Love > Step by step Intro bleep/main lead

Soft Cell
Year: 1985
Original Synth:
Synclavier/Synare
Plugins used: DuneCM/Phonec CM
TUTORIAL
FILES
Originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964,
Tainted Love flopped upon its release as a B-side
to her single My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home. The song Make the bleep first, using Set the Delay Time to 1/64
didn’t hit the charts, and was forgotten until it
started getting played at Northern Soul dances
1 DuneCM. Open the synth, and
set Osc 1 to a square wave.
Tune it down by one octave, then reduce
2 notes, with the Feedback at 2
o’clock. The bleep takes on a
ringy tone, similar to the original sound.
the amp Attack, Sustain and Release to Next, back off the mix to around 10% for
about ten years later. 0%. Pushing Decay to 55% opens the a more subtle effect. Let’s use Phonec
Marc Almond heard the song at a club he sound. Load HY-FX CM onto the channel, CM to create the lead; start by loading
with the simple delay effect selected. the Init preset to reset the synth.
worked at, and subsequently Soft Cell began to
play it in their sets before doing a recording of it in
1981. The song shot to number one in the UK, riding
the wave of popularity synth pop was enjoying.
As with many other tracks in this era, the real
instruments of Jones’ version were replaced with
synths and a drum machine rhythm track, with the
iconic intro bleep made by running a snare from a
We’ll set Oscs 1 and 2 to organ; Remove some unwanted
Synare drum machine through a Delta Labs DL4
delay unit, and the main lead coming from a 3 this is a waveform that
mimics an electric organ.
Pitch Osc 2 down by five semitones, then
4 bass from our sound by
pushing the High-Pass Filter
to 60. Add a retro feel by setting the Melt
Synclavier. Now, let’s make our own take on the increase Osc 2 level to around 20 to mix control to tape, then pushing it up to 30,
a little in, thickening the sound. Increase adding wow and flutter. Reduce Volume
sounds using a double header of synths from the the noise amount to around 5, layering a to around 70, so that the finished sound
plugins you can use at filesilo.co.uk. subtle amount of noise with our lead. sits more comfortably in the mix.

One of the catchiest 80s synth pop tunes of the a big part of the technology-driven approach to music
time, Just Can’t Get Enough was Depeche Mode’s making that was prevalent at the time.
third single, first released on Mute Records as a The sound from the track that is an instantly
single in 1981, then appearing on their album recognisable earworm is the main riff, which was
Speak & Spell. originally played using the classic Roland Jupiter 4
With the instrumental composed entirely of analogue poly synth. For our version of the sound,
synthesised instruments over a drum machine beat, we’ll use Dmitry Sches’ excellent ThornCM to recreate
the song reached No 8 in the UK singles chart, and was the classic Depeche Mode tone in our DAW.

Just Can’t Get Enough

Depeche Mode > Step by step Main riff
Year: 1981
Original Synth:
Roland Jupiter 4
Plugin used:
ThornCM TUTORIAL
FILES

Set Osc 1 in ThornCM to a Shape the sound more using Reduce the Filter Cutoff to

1 sawtooth wave. Turn on Osc 2

and set that to a triangle, with
the tuning pitched up seven semitones.
2 the amp envelope. Pull the
Attack and Sustain down to 0,
with the Decay set to around 50% and
3 13kHz, then increase Res to
30%. This rolls off high
frequencies while focusing the high
This adds extra thickness and depth. Release at 35%. This’ll make the notes mids, but reduces loudness compared to
Next, move Osc 1’s Position dial to 10%, played sound tightly controlled, without the unfiltered sound. Pushing filter Drive
for much-needed high frequency being too staccato. Set the filter Type to up to 10dB makes up the gain difference,
harmonics on the sawtooth wave. Fat LP12, similar to that of the Jupiter 4. whilst adding crunch and vibe.

46 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

Don’t Go > Step by step Don’t Go lead

Yazoo
Year: 1982
Original Synth: ARP 2600
Plugin used: AlphaCM

Vince Clarke knows a thing or two about TUTORIAL

FILES
crafting an electronic pop song, a fact made
clear by the number of cracking tunes he
composed for Depeche Mode’s 1981 debut LP, Set AlphaCM’s Z-Init patch. In the Matrix, select LFO 1 as
Speak & Spell. After the success of that LP, he quit
the band. After all, who wants worldwide success?
1 Select Square1 for both Oscs’
A wave, and a sawtooth for
Osc 2’s B Wave. Set Osc 1’s Wave fully
2 source for two slots. Set Osc 1
Symmetry as the first
destination, and Osc 2 Symmetry as the
clockwise and Osc 2’s to 10 o’clock. Set second and Amounts to 0.9 and 0.66.
Fearing their label (Mute) would drop him, he the Octaves of both Osc’s A waves to -1. Un-sync the LFO, and set its Freq to 3.8.
penned Only You in order to keep them interested. Crank Detune up to just past 10 o’clock. In the Filter, the Cutoff is just over 9
Set the Filter’s Drive to just under 2 oc. o’clock, and Resonance just under 9.
He brought in an old acquaintance, Alison Moyet,
to sing. Mute hit ‘em up for a single, the b-side of
which was to be Don’t Go. Clarke knew it was too
strong a song to relegate to the flip side, and
Situation was hurriedly slotted in. Don’t Go would
be the second (smash) single from the pair’s debut
LP, Upstairs at Eric’s. An ear-worm of an intro from
an ARP 2600 sets the stage, carried along by an
Filter envelope Depth should
incessant bass courtesy of Clarke’s ever-present On the amp, nudge the

Sequential Circuits Pro-One. A thick Roland Juno- 3 be full. Give the Attack knob a
nudge. Set Decay to 10
o’clock, and Sustain off. Release should
4 Volume up to 12 o’clock and
kill the Velocity. Give the
Amp Env’s Attack a nudge and crank
60 bass complements Moyet’s soulful voice. be set to just under 11 o’clock. A quick both the Decay and Sustain clockwise.
play tells us we’re almost there! We’ll Release should be 10 o’clock. Use Acon
Despite the low track count, the entire concoction leave it to you to figure out the riff – we Digital CM Verb and dial in a short reverb
is big, bold, and unforgettable. don’t want to infringe on any copyrights! to mimic the 2600’s springs.

It seemed an improbable pairing: Hugh Hudson’s popular today. The Titles theme for Chariots of Fire
historical film set in 1924 scored by a synthesist? combines acoustic piano with Vangelis’ beloved
Absurd, yet this collaboration earned three BAFTAs Yamaha CS-80 to create a dramatic, optimistic anthem.
and four Academy Awards. Greek musician Vangelis’ A steady electronic pulse, echoing percussion,
particular penchant for evocative and emotional resonant fanfares and that simple, unforgettable piano
performance would provide the synth-heavy are arranged perfectly. Released as a chart-topping
soundtrack with a romantic flair. More so, it would single, it became an obligatory feature of athletic
introduce a new form of electronic filmic music, still events for decades to come.

Titles, aka Chariots

of Fire > Step by step Filmic brass
Vangelis
Year: 1981
Original Synth:
Yamaha CS80
Plugin used: TUTORIAL
FILES
AlphaCM CM

Set AlphaCM’s Z_Init patch, Filter Cutoff is down, Res just In Matrix, Velocity modulates

1 and sawtooth waves for Osc 1,

slots A and B, and Osc 2, slot
A. We’ll select a Square1 for Osc 2’s B slot.
2 over 9 o’clock, Filter Env
Depth nearly full, Attack 10
o’clock, Decay just over 10 oc, Sustain 2
3 Filter Cutoff by 0.21. LFO 1 and
Filter Env modulate Main
Pitch by 0:08 and 0:19, respectively. Set
Osc 1’s B slot should be Transposed to +1, oc, Release nearly halfway up. Amp the Chorus’ Wet knob to 10 o’clock.
and Osc 2’s A should be -1. Osc 1’s Wave Attack is 11 o’clock, Decay at 1, Sustain at Finally, drop an instance of Acon Digital
knob is just over 10 o’clock. Detune is 3 oc, and Release at noon. LFO Attack is CM Verb over the top, and choose the
just under 10 o’clock. 10 oc and its Frequency at 4.94. Large Gothic Cathedral setting.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 47

> make electronic music now / synth pop

SYNTH POP
From percolating percussion to syncopated sequences, we’ll show you everything
you need to create an instant synth pop classic – without spending a penny!
It’s hard to say where synth pop began – arrangements – a minimalism that became a Depeche Mode synth wizard Vince Clarke
maybe with Roxy Music and the artful synth pop hallmark. Artists like Fad Gadget and re-emerged with Yazoo and Erasure, each slicker
wobble of Eno’s VCS 3. Kraftwerk had an The Human League found acceptance with the and more accessible than what came before.
undeniable influence, as did Bowie’s Low LP. post-punk crowd, thanks to their unusual, often Today, of course, synths are very much the
One could argue that it rose from the ashes of extreme shows, while Ultravox and Gary Numan stuff of pop and a fascination for all things 80s
punk, with its emphasis on simplistic song evoked a cold intellectualism, a world away from has reignited interest in synth pop.
structures and DIY ethos. Would-be post-punk the sex-and-drug excesses of stadium rockers. It’s now easier than ever to make synth pop,
popsters like Daniel Miller and John Foxx Yet as the new wave gave way to new and we’ll take you through the process using
switched on to the possibilities offered by cheap, romanticism, synth pop followed suit. The once- nothing but your DAW and the instruments and
monophonic synths, tapping into their experimental Human League fractured, effects available filesilo.co.uk (Bookazines/
limitations to create smart, sparse reforming as a sleek pop outfit, while former Music Producer’s Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. The rhythm section

TUTORIAL
FILES

We’re providing the plugins and audio Many a synth pop classic got its start As seen by the file’s name, our drum

1 files, but you’ll undoubtedly prefer to

work in the DAW of your choice. Don’t
have one? Get a free DAW, like Tracktion’s
T7 DAW, a complete, unrestricted music
2 with the gentle pitter-patter of the
legendary Roland CR-78 drum machine. Its
percolating patterns propelled hits by
Ultravox, Gary Numan and Orchestral
3 loop’s tempo is set to the universal
default of 120bpm, and our project’s
tempo is set to the same. We want to loop
the sample across a number of bars. In T7,
production environment from Tracktion. Manoeuvres in the Dark. We’ve recorded a this is accomplished by clicking the little
com. We dig T7 DAW quite a lot, so we’ll snippet of one for you. Called CR78_120. “L” button in the clip’s header, after which
use it, but follow along in whatever DAW wav, it can be imported into your project simply drag it by the arrows at either end
you like. or dragged onto an empty track. of the header to the desired length.

On many a classic synth pop track, the Select your connected MIDI controller Next, go to bar 9 and create a two-bar

4 CR-78 was layered with real or sample

drums. We’ll do the same, using the StiX
CM plugin from XILS Lab. We’ll instantiate
it on Track 2. In T7 DAW, this is done by
5 as the Track’s input to trigger your
plugin. Open the plug’s editor. Rather than
using a prefab kit, click the BD tab in the
upper left, go to the Drum Preset menu
6 MIDI clip on Track 2. Now, draw in
some notes for the kick and snare. Just
mimic the positions of the CR-78’s kick
drum in this clip, and stick the snare hits
dragging the grey ‘+’ widget down to the and find the preset called BD Sample on the backbeats. Next, loop your clip and
desired position on the right-most side of Massive LtZ. Click the Snare tab, then load stretch it out for a total of eight bars. It
the track itself, then selecting the plugin the preset SN wadm_909_snare_021. Give might help to loop playback of the section
from available menus and options. the snare’s Level knob a boost. you’re working on.

48 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 synth pop / make electronic music now <

>Step by step 1. The rhythm section (continued)

The drums are loud! The overall level Create a new MIDI clip on Track 3, Loop your new clip and extend it to

7 can come down. We’ll name our

tracks, too. We’re not trying to get a
proper mix yet, just tame the volume. Now
add a bass track. Instantiate LinPlug’s
8 starting at bar 1, beat 1. This clip should
be eight bars long. Either record a live
bass part, or draw notes in. These notes
serve as the root notes of a progression,
9 the end of bar 16. Create an instance of
u-he’s BazilleCM on Track 4 and find the
Antivirus preset. This is a rhythmic
sequence patch. Create a nine-bar MIDI
Alpha CM, which has been modelled after with each chord holding for two bars. clip at bar 9. Play/hold the root notes used
Roland’s Juno synths. Open its editor and We’ve chosen the key of A, so we’ll do two for the bass at a higher octave. The
choose the preset called BAS-Dark-TEG. bars each of A, F#, D, and E notes. pattern syncs with your project’s tempo.

>Step by step 2. Strings ‘n’ things

TUTORIAL
FILES

The first wave of synth pop classics Go to the menu in the top-left (where it The low end needs reinforcement.

1 were drenched in paraphonic string

machines. These single-purpose synths
first hit in the 70s, offering a means to play
chords. Some models were used well into
2 says ‘Init’) and open it. Go to Strings
and select the patch called STR Sustenuto
Pad CD. Again, hold your chords over two
bars each. Many popular synth pop artists
3 Instantiate ZebraCM, and create a new
eight-bar MIDI clip at bar 9. The default
patch is fine. Use just the root notes in the
lower octaves. In the second half of the
the 80s. Get a similar sound using XILS were untrained, so keep things simple, clip, raise ’em an octave for a nice effect.
Lab PolyKB II CM. Instantiate it on Track 5. obvious even. We’ve used predictable Tweak ZebraCM’s envelope settings and
Create another nine-bar MIDI clip at bar 1. dyads, as the patch is pretty thick. dial down the filter’s Env Modulation a bit.

FOUR SYNTH POP CLASSICS PRO TIPS

SPARKS ERASURE NO FRETS, NO FROWNS
WHEN I’M WITH YOU SOMETIMES Synths were – are – obvious solutions for creating
This 1980 single has all the Erasure’s fourth single was their throbbing pop bass riffs. However, electric bass guitars
ingredients for a synth pop first big hit, marking keyboardist are also a staple, and their lively sound suits a synth
classic – catchy hook, quirky Vince Clarke’s third successful arrangement. Fretless basses were especially popular
lyrics, and – unusually for Sparks synth pop outfit after Depeche among new wave and synth pop. You can hear them on
– a wistful synth solo. Mode and Yazoo. tracks by Gary Numan and Japan, both of whom called
upon the talents of the late, great Mick Karn.
bit.ly/spks_wiwy bit.ly/ersr_smtms
STRING MACHINERY
SILICON TEENS LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Remembering that synth pop stems from the larger
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE I CAN CHANGE new wave scene, which itself emerged from punk – it’s
After the success of The Normal’s Decades after the first wave of the not all that surprising that edgy guitar riffs often found
T.V.O.D. b/w Warm Leatherette), new wave, James Murphy’s eclectic their way onto synth pop productions. Often slathered
Daniel Miller conceived this LCD Soundsystem produced one of in echo and chorus effects, guitars were often an
fictional synth pop group with Fad the finest examples of synth pop important – if slightly anachronistic – element. Some of
Gadget’s Frank Tovey. ever recorded. the most imaginative examples can be found in songs
by A Flock of Seagulls and Ultravox. Bill Nelson and
Gary Numan were also both guitarists before
bit.ly/silitns_mt bit.ly/lcd_icc expanding into synths.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 49

> make electronic music now / synth pop

The role of effects in > Step by step 3. Fleshing out the arrangement
the mix
Today’s desktop producer has a
virtually unlimited supply of
instruments and effects on hand,
and yet many of the best-known
synth pop hits were created with
one or two synths and only a
handful of the most rudimentary TUTORIAL

of effects. FILES
It’d be worth mentioning that
home studios were something of
a rarity in synth pop’s heyday, so
pro studios were usually where
all the action took place. That
doesn’t go to say that these were The track could do with a lead. Open Let’s take a step back and look at what
glossy, high-end productions.
Quite the contrary in fact, as
many synth pop bands were
1 another Alpha CM and call up the
preset patch named LED-SquareDeal-TEG.
The new part will once again span eight
bars. If you are able, this would be a good
2 we have. There are now seven tracks,
representing all of the basic instrumental
requirements. We’ve only got 17 bars, with
the first eight only containing the CR-78,
lacking the financial resources
candidate for a live take. You can always strings, and one of the bass tracks. This
for extended session hours, and use your DAW’s quantise function to isn’t actually a bad way to start the song.
the time to experiment. polish the rough bits.
Therefore, it’s wise to keep the
mix simple. A typical studio of
the day might have one or two
good reverb units, one of which
might be singled out for a gated
snare sound, while the other
might have been shockingly
over-applied to guitars,
background singers – even the
lead vocal.
Of course, that isn’t to say that
you can’t modernise your take on
synth pop with tools that weren’t
available to new wave artists of
the 1980s. The only rule is that
there are no rules!
Everything else jumps in rather You can create new eight-bar parts for

3 abruptly at bar 9. A more gradual

build-up would be preferable. Move the
ZebraCM Bass to bar 17. The Alpha CM
Lead track will start at bar 25. Create a
4 each track (barring the CR-78), and
these can serve as a chorus section. The
parts can be arranged into a typical song
structure, as we’ve done here. In our
second Drum clip at bar 17, adding more example, we’ve simplified the kick track
kicks. Next, extend this and the remaining starting at bar 73, and dropped the
tracks to bar 32. ZebraCM bass and lead for a bit.

> Step by step 4. Fills and flourishes

TUTORIAL
FILES

At this point, the song is pretty well That middle section starting at bar 73 Finally, add another Alpha CM track,

1 defined with an intro, verses,

choruses, and a middle section where it
changes up a bit. This would be a good
time to consider adding some drum fills at
2 needs something, so add an instance
of Dune CM onto a track and dial up the
pad sound called Vox Morph IW. It’ll just
double the string chords here. This sound
3 using the PAD-SlowSweep-TEG patch.
Play in the root notes in some of the
verses and choruses, and middle bit. If
you’ve a MIDI controller with knobs, you
transitional points in the song. is reminiscent of sample-based might consider using Alpha CM’s MIDI
workstations of the early-1980s, such as Learn (ECS) to assign knobs to various
the Fairlight CMI or Synclavier. functions and tweak them in real time.

50 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 synth pop / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 5. Mixing

TUTORIAL
FILES

Now that our arrangement is Every engineer works differently – It is often beneficial to loop playback

1 complete, it’s time to sink into the mix.

Your DAW might offer a standard
hardware-style vertical mixer, but mixing
in T7 DAW is handled in the main view. To
2 some like to start with the beat, while
others may bring the vocals in and mix to
those. We haven’t any vocals in our track
(though there is room for them, if you
3 of the busiest sections like the verse
or chorus, mixing those first. After setting
the level for the CR-78, the Drums track
can be brought in, with the BazilleCM
begin mixing, it might be best to reduce want to add them). Let’s mix our CR-78 sequence and Alpha CM Bass coming
the levels of all of the tracks to nil. track in first, leaving plenty of headroom. next, carefully balancing the mix between
the two against the rhythm tracks.

Panning the BazilleCM and Alpha CM The ZebraCM Bass track is a little bit The Alpha CM lead can be sent to

4 bass tracks opposite one another (just

a bit) might open up the mix a bit. The
ZebraCM Bass and polyKB II CM Strings
tracks can be added in next. The latter
5 on the boomy side of things. This
would be a good candidate for Overtone’s
PTH2A-CM equaliser. This is a vintage-
style program EQ styled after the famous
6 PSP’s cmDelay, instantiated on an aux
send. We’re sending our Alpha ECS track
to it as well. Another aux might be created
for Acon Digital’s CM Verb for, say, the
could use a bit of motion, so insert the Pultec units. It can be used to attenuate drums. For a finishing touch, you could
HY-FX-CM, calling up and tweaking the the low end at 60 Hz, with the KCS set to use the SunRuysCM compressor plugin on
Phaser preset. a12 for a broad stroke. the master.

POWER TIP

Sample platter > Back to

the source
Though the term synth pop suggests the
genre is produced entirely from synths, the Not every synth pop production is
artists that created it embraced any new tech built from the ground-up using
they could get. As such, drum machines and virtual synthesisers, but ours is.
samplers were also commonly used to create This provides us with an interesting
synth pop tracks, though their initial cost put option when it’s time to mix – that
of tweaking our sounds to fit in the
them out of reach of all but the moneyed few.
mix, rather than trying to forcibly
Those that did have access to such lofty hammer each track into place with
instruments often found that the cutting edge equalisation and compression.
wasn’t exactly razor sharp. Early samplers and Emulations return you to simpler (better?) sample times Keep in mind that EQ and
sample-based drum machines were limited by compression are generally used to
the tech of the day, meaning 8-bit sample compensate for shortcomings in
depths and sample rates that would scarcely use of bit-reduction plugins or through the use the recorded track. Rather than
be acceptable to today’s producers. of low-resolution samples. There are also resort to such remedies, we can use
Remember this when trying to re-capture virtual samplers such as TAL-Sampler and our synth’s tuning and filters in
order to tweak frequencies, and
the sound of classic synth pop. The lo-fi vibe of 112dB’s Morgana that emulate the circuitry of
help reduce velocity sensitivity to
that old digital gear can be simulated with the the old dears. tame dynamics.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 51

> interview / gary numan

GARY
NUMAN
There aren’t many people who can claim
to be true pioneers of Electronic Music.
This, however, is certainly one of them…

It’s fair to say that Gary Numan doesn’t write a wonderful family. Splinter had some great reviews
many ‘upbeat’ tunes. The electronic legend’s and then I signed a record deal with BMG.”
breakthrough album, 1979’s Replicas, depicted a Numan followed up that album with Savage (Songs
cold, dark world of isolation and unhappy androids. from a Broken World), very much a continuation of
Follow-up albums featured paranoia, atheism and Splinter’s sound and success. Track titles included Pray
yet more isolation. For The Pain You Serve and My Name Is Ruin.
While recording 2013’s comeback album Splinter “People write about what affects them, and that
(Songs from a Broken Mind) – we say ‘comeback’ as it album was about global warming. Initially, some of the
was Numan’s first to chart highly for many years and ideas came from a novel I was writing about a post-
widely regarded as his best outing in decades – Numan global warming world. That’s why I decided to film the
was plagued by depression and wrote about the effect video for My Name Is Ruin in the Californian desert. I
it was having on his family. was trying to say, ‘Look, this is what we’ll be left with. A
“Thankfully, I beat the depression,” says the smiling wasteland… and temperatures of 46 degrees’.”
63-year-old. “And I have to say that life is great. I’m Numan’s latest album, Intruder, is very much the
enjoying living in LA [he moved there in 2012]. I’ve got third album in the trilogy, designed as it is as a

52 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 gary numan / interview <

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 53

> interview / gary numan

companion piece to both Splinter and Savage.

“I don’t normally get up on my soapbox about
stuff, but if the politicians don’t wake up, this
“We’re now in an era where everyone is
really will be a broken world.”
Intruder, then, continues the theme and while
it might be bleak, it is the easiest songwriting
familiar with the sythesiser, but back in
seam for Numan to mine.
He agrees: “Ha ha! Yes, even though life is 1977 and 78, they were still a rarity”
being kind to me at the moment, I still struggle
to write happy songs.”
Gary Numan’s unhappiness has served him need to do any of that. I remember being Musically, I was in a hole. There was a period of
well, fuelling his musical imagination for over 40 interviewed in those early days and saying about two years where I never kept anything
years. Encouraged by the anger and energy of something like, ‘Why play a million notes when that I worked on. My confidence was so broken
punk, the teenage Numan picked up a guitar one note will do?’ With the Moog, you could that I almost thought it was going to finish me
and formed a band, but very quickly discovered literally take a single note and it could be an off. I wondered if I was ever going to be able to
something far more interesting than a Gibson ever-changing, unfolding masterpiece. write anything that people would want to hear.
Les Paul: a Minimoog. “Is there another instrument that will do that? As far as I was concerned, the career was over.
Barely a year later, he’d introduced electronic Of course, if you put a guitar in the hands of a “Luckily, that coincided with a period of…
music to the masses with tracks like Are ‘Friends’ master musician, he can do that, but the beauty let’s call in reappraisal. Suddenly, you had
Electric?, Cars, and a trio of Number One of a synth is that anybody can play it and anyone people like Trent Reznor saying nice things,
albums. The music press hated him and his can make an interesting sound with it. The people started being a bit kinder, and I felt I
bloody synthesisers, but Numan has been knobs and sliders are right there in front of you… could stick my head above the parapet.
namechecked by everyone from Liam Howlett it’s almost daring you to have a go.” “The strange thing is that I’ve never really
and Trent Reznor to Beck and Damon Albarn. fully recovered from that two-year depression
Despite the success and the revolutionary and panic. As soon as one album’s finished, I
Before you got your hands on that Minimoog, sound, the press really didn’t take kindly to start panicking about the next one. I start
did you have any interest in electronic music? you, did they? worrying if my career’s going to be OK. Will I
Had you been listening to Bowie, Roxy Music, GN: “I was young, and I’ll admit that I did have a ever write another decent song?”
Kraftwerk and the like? big mouth, but I don’t think I did or said anything
Gary Numan: “I did have a couple of Kraftwerk that deserved that level of… they just seemed to Even after all of these albums?
albums, but it all sounded a bit too mechanical enjoy having a pop at me. They had a go at me GN: “The thing about being a songwriter is that
for me. Bowie’s Low album was the first time that for looking miserable on Top of the Pops. I was it’s one of those disposable talents. It’s a fairly
I’d really been struck by the power of electronic nervous! I wore makeup cos I had acne! common ability. Look around you and look on
music… tracks like Warszawa. There’s a grand, “And they were always having a go at the the internet; songwriters are ten a penny. And a
almost classical melancholia to those songs. music. When things were going well, that didn’t lot of them are great, great songwriters who will
That atmosphere hinted at something I was bother me so much, but most artists have a never get a chance to bring their music to a
searching for, and I found it far more interesting cycle of popularity and when my sales began to wider public. The only thing that distinguishes
than any of the punk stuff that was happening in decline, they really started taking the piss. Is it a me from them is luck. Luck that I found that
the late 70s. crime to try different directions and different Moog. Thank god it wasn’t a clarinet that
“I didn’t know it at the time, but I suppose I musical themes? somebody had left in the studio!”
was trying to combine that electronic thing with “That constant criticism really knocked me
the spikiness of punk. And, as luck would have it, back. Obviously, it didn’t help that, once we hit If only out of a sense of loyalty, is there still a
there was a Minimoog in the studio where I was the 90s, my career was going down the toilet. It Moog in the studio?
working on an album of punky, guitar-based was a horrible time; a downward spiral. GN: “There is! In fact, there are two. Moog very
songs. I plugged it in and played a note. My God,
what a wonderful sound!
“We’re now in an era where everyone is
familiar with the synthesiser, but back in 1977
and 78, they were still something of a rarity;
almost like a novelty instrument that people
used for making funny noises. To actually have
one in my hands and to be able to feel the power
of that sound was… well, it changed my life.
“My first thought was, ‘What if I transfer my
basic guitar riffs to the Minimoog?’ Instead of
going, ‘chug-chug’ with barre chords, I played
‘dum-dum’ on the Moog. It sounded fucking
brilliant! Completely by accident, I found what I
was looking for.”

The main riff for Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

or Cars could have been played on a guitar,
but it just wouldn’t have sounded the same.
GN: “Exactly! There was this sense of menace
and drama that seemed to be built into a synth…
a simple riff became much more than just a
collection of notes. And that was perfect for me,
because I wasn’t a particularly good musician.
“Even though punk was happening, there was
still this idea that ‘songwriting’ was something
special. You had loads of musicians who were
writing stuff with all these tricky chords and
million-note solos, but with a synth, you didn’t Gary Numan in his studio, based at his LA home where he has been living happily since 2012

54 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 gary numan / interview <

One electronic music icon gets hands-on

with another electronic music icon

kindly sent me a Voyager and Minimoog D, blokes who set it up in an afternoon. That’s my
which did get used on the last album. I have got working space. All the pre-production, vocal Kit list
the software versions, but, c’mon, if the real is recording and demo-ing is done there, but then HARDWARE
thing available, you’re going to use it. it gets sent to [long-term collaborator] Ade Apple Mac Pro
“That’s pretty much it when it comes to Fenton. That’s when we start putting together PMC TwoTwo 8
hardware. Everything else is in the box. Why the finished version.” ATC ASL50
would you lug around all that hardware when Elektron Analog Keys
you’ve got an almost limitless collection of Are there certain software plugins that you Access Virus TI
fantastic-sounding synths that you can load on know will give you a ‘Numan’ sound? Waldorf Blofeld
to a computer? GN: “If I could, I would create a whole new
Thermionic Culture
“That move from traditional studio to palette of sounds every time I made an album, Culture Vulture
on-board was a complete godsend for me. but, in reality, there are a few ‘stock’ plugins that Eventide Eclipse
There was no way that I could have survived keep finding their way onto albums.” Sontronics Saturn
making albums in a ‘studio’, because it simply
became too expensive. With Pro Tools and a You’ve been very vocal about one of those: SOFTWARE
computer, I can make an album anywhere. your love of Spectrasonics Omnisphere. Apple Logic Pro X
“Not only that, but I’ve also learned a whole GN: “The king of all plugins, without a doubt. 1 Spectrasonics
host of production and mixing skills that I would was pretty bloody amazing, but v2 takes it into Omnisphere
never have learned in the old days, because another world. What a phenomenal array of Native Instruments
there was always somebody there to do it for sounds, and what a phenomenal array of Reaktor, Absynth,
Kontakt, Maschine,
you. And usually somebody who was being paid starting points – pull up any preset and you’ll be Battery, Massive,
out of the money you hadn’t yet earned from inspired. But then you’ve got the manipulation, Guitar Rig
selling the album that you were working on!” too: easily accessible, incredibly intuitive ways FXpansion BFD
to change and shape the sound. If you don’t find XLN Audio
Tell us about the studio setup in LA? what you’re after in the presets, you will be able Addictive Drums
GN: “I live in an area that’s residential use only, to create it fairly quickly. Softube Tube-Tech
which means I can’t build a full recording studio. “Anybody who knows my music will know iZotope plugins
The compromise is a large vocal booth in an that I use a lot of pads and atmospheres. But the FabFilter plugins
outhouse. It came as a flat-pack, with a couple of problem with pads and atmospheres is that they

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 55

> interview / gary numan

Gary Numan on the

digital revolution
“There’s a lot of doom and gloom about the
music industry these days, but, to me, it
feels more exciting than it has done in
years. Yes, some of the labels and the chain
record stores have fallen by the wayside,
but do we really miss the way that the
music business used to work? Record label
signs a band, puts out a single, single
doesn’t do well, label drops band. ‘Thank
you, good night.’
“There have been good and bad things
said about the impact the internet has had
on music, but all I can say is that it’s allowed
me to carry on making music. Yes, the
internet and social media have created a
certain state of flux, but that will settle
down. Or maybe it won’t. Maybe flux will be
the new normal. Constant reinvention;
constant change. But what’s wrong with
that? How ridiculous would it be to still be
making music with the same setup I had 30
years ago? You can’t keep looking to the
past – music has to keep moving forward.”

can all start to sound a bit samey. With knew I liked keyboards, so they bought me this literally have to start talking myself out of the
Omnisphere, you don’t seem to get that. Each knackered old upright piano. That’s what I panic. ‘C’mon, Gary. Things will be OK. This is just
sound you choose and add will always give you started writing songs on, and that’s what all the an off day. Pull yourself together’. If anybody
that something a bit different. early albums were written on. I later realised ever recorded it, they’d think I’d gone mad!”
“I use it a lot on everything I do, but I know that it was slightly out of tune, which probably
that I’m only scratching the surface of what it’s helped me create something a bit… different. Gary Numan’s album Intruder is out in May 2021
capable of. A truly beautiful piece of software.” “These days, it’s a piano preset from the
computer, but that’s where I work out melodies
So, you like it, then?! and chord structure. After that, it goes into the
GN: “Ha ha! I like anything that Spectrasonics do. computer and gets fleshed out with a few pads
Native Instruments, too. I’ve got a suite of their and loops, I add my gobbledegook vocals, write
stuff on the computer. Some Korg plugins; Ethno lyrics to the gobbledegook, and there’s a demo. HEAR MORE
2, when I need to get ethnic. If things are going well, the demo version takes
“I’m still a fan of old-fashioned found sounds, about a week, but you can usually tell on day
too. I have a stereo recorder that I carry around one whether the idea is going anywhere.
with me when I’m ready to start making an “Of course, that’s the point where my mind
album, recording bits and pieces from a normal starts racing and I think, ‘That’s it. I’ve lost it!’ I
day: traffic, people, the sound of the desert. They
can really help to create atmosphere because…
well, they are, technically, ‘atmospheres’.” “Of course, that’s My Name Is Ruin (2017)
bit.ly/GNmnir17
Are ‘Friends’ Electric? (Live)
You were awarded the Ivor Novello
Inspiration Award in recognition of your the point where bit.ly/GNafeLive

influence as an electronic pioneer. In the

almost-40 years you’ve been releasing music, my mind starts WWW

garynuman.com
has the actual process of songwriting
changed much?
GN: “Obviously, there’s a lot more to play with in
racing and I think, soundcloud.com/garynumanofficial

twitter.com/numanofficial
the studio, but my starting point has always
been the piano. When I was kid, my parents
‘That’s it. I’ve lost it!’” en-gb.facebook.com/GaryNumanOfficial

56 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

Fade to Grey > Step by step Repeating synth lead/bass

Visage
Year: 1980
Original Synth: Moog Polymoog
Plugin used: u-he BazilleCM

We’re recreating famous synth sounds using TUTORIAL

FILES
your free Plugin Suite at filesilo.co.uk, and now
we enter the 80s with an absolute belter!
Visage was formed by Midge Ure and Rusty Egan We don’t need a synth as Connect Osc 2’s Output to the
in 1978. The pair recruited vocalist Steve Strange, as
well as ex-Magazine members Barry Adamson,
1 flexible as BazilleCM to
recreate Chris Payne’s famous
buzzsaw sound, but his Polymoog was
2 jack below the one in which
we patched Osc 1. We’ll patch
the Filter’s LP24 jack to an Out 1 jack.
probably overqualified, too! First switch Next, find Osc 2’s PD Value knob (just
John McGeoch, and Dave Formula. Billy Currie off the Delay, disconnect the cable from above ‘Saw’) and crank it full. Use Osc 2’s
(Ultravox, Gary Numan), was brought in as well, Osc 1 to Out 1, connecting Osc 1 instead Fine Tune knob (under ‘Modify’) and set
to the Filter section’s top-left jack. it to 7. Set Osc 1’s Fine Tuning to -7.
who remembered an unfinished tune from Numan
bandmate Chris Payne. They’d decided to record
their unfinished jam with fellow Numanite Cedric
Sharpley as a sort of keepsake after a tour. Chris
Payne had jammed out the song’s signature riff
with a Minimoog supplying the bass sound, and
the infamous Polymoog ‘Vox Humana’ preset for
the pad. As luck would have it, the Minimoog failed
That’s already close! However, Set Env 2’s Decay to 25 and
to turn up for the recording, so Payne recreated the
bass pattern using a Polymoog brass patch. Once it 3 Mr Payne has stated that he
believes the original sound
was a brass patch so connect Env 2’s
4 its Sustain to 82. Now, set the
Release to 20. Go to Env 1,
and crank up both Decay and Sustain.
was turned over to Visage, Midge Ure composed Output up to the Filter’s lower-left jack. The Release should be 13. These shapes
Turn the knob above that jack up to give our sound some hint of brassiness.
the lyrics for Strange. The French passages were about 104. Bring the Cutoff down to 56. Now it’s just a matter of minor tweaks,
delivered by Egan’s girlfriend, Brigitte Arens. Set Env 2’s Attack slider to 15. but be sure to experiment further!

The powerful Minimoog riff from Are ‘Friends’ Numan never intended to get involved with synths,
Electric? is surely one of the most memorable only discovering what they could do for him when a
synth sounds – and indeed melodies – of all time. And Minimoog was left in a studio where he’d intended to
Numan’s first hit was not just important for him; his make a punk album. When it came time to record Are
breakthrough 1979 single not only helped him format ‘Friends’ Electric?, he rented both a Minimoog and a
his own future 1980s hits, but also set the trajectory of Polymoog. Needless to say, once the single was
modern music for the years that followed. In point of released, he’d be able to afford his own! We’ll show you
fact – as he reveals in his interview on page 52 – how to get close with your free plugin below…

Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

Gary Numan > Step by step Are ‘Friends’ Electric? main riff
Year: 1979 (although
also used a lot on his
80s hits!)
Original Synth:
Moog Minimoog TUTORIAL
FILES
Plugin used:
AlphaCM

Fire up LinPlug’s AlphaCM. Go Set Osc 1’s Detune knob to just Switch Glide to On. Just give

1 to the patch browser and click

the right window to access
the presets in the bank. Load the Z_Init
2 under 10 o’clock, the Filter’s
Cutoff to just past 12 and Res
to just past 9 o’clock. Select the 24+
3 the Time knob the slightest
nudge. Finally, though the
Minimoog didn’t have a chorus, we’re
patch. Go to Osc 1 and select the Square1 mode. Set Drive to 2 oc, the Filter going to use ours to thicken the sound
wave. Turn the Wave knob to A. Set its Envelope’s Decay, Release to just above to make up for the lack of a third osc. Set
Octave to -1. Do the same for Osc 2, using 10 oc and Depth to 3 o’clock. Set the its Wet knob to 11 o’clock or so, and push
Square2 as the waveform. Amp Decay and Release at 10 o’clock. the Rate up to nearly 3 o’clock.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 57

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

Ultravox spent the latter part of the 1970s pumping achieving momentum when the title track struck big
out expertly-crafted – and commercially as a single. As a song, Vienna is a slow burn from
unsuccessful – post-punk records, emphasising the contemplative croon to (intentionally) bombastic
coming ‘new wave’ of electronic pop. Guitarist Robin pseudo-pomp. Piano and violin make up much of the
Simon and singer John Foxx left the band after their instrumentation, but the Roland CR-78 drum machine
third album, the latter replaced by Midge Ure. The new is a constant, as is the bass from the band’s custom
lineup recorded their next LP, Vienna, in 1980, Minimoog. String machines are used for syrupy
although it, too, received a lukewarm reception, only strings, throughout.

Vienna
Ultravox
> Step by step Viennese bass
Year: 1980
Original Synth:
Minimoog
Plugin used:
Dune CM TUTORIAL
FILES

Call upon Dune CM to create a In Osc Common, P/Width goes Finally, to the Filter Envelope.

1 reasonable facsimile of Chris

Cross’ impactful bass patch.
Start with an Init patch and select square
2 to 25%. In the Filter, select
LP24+Saturation as the mode.
Cutoff goes to 27%, and Env to 60%. In
3 Here, set Decay at 47% and
crank the Sustain down. Our
Release should be 38% or so. That brings
waves for all three oscillators. Osc Mix the Amp Envelope, set Decay and us very close to the sharp and solid
goes to about 29%, and Osc 3 Level to Release to 50%. (The original Minimoog thwack of the original Minimoog sound.
68%. Set Osc 2’s Semi to -12. Osc 1 and 2’s shared a single control for both Decay You can, of course, fine tune it even
Fine goes to -10.0 and 10.0, respectively. and Release.) further as you like.

Don’t You Want Me? > Step by step League lead

Human League
Year: 1981
Original Synth: Roland Jupiter-4
Plugin used: BazilleCM

The Human League’s success was hard won TUTORIAL

FILES
after two cutting-edge LPs and a handful of
quirky singles before their breakthrough, 1981’s
Dare. The band had split just as they were set to This patch is often recreated Send Osc 2’s Output to the
embark upon a lengthy tour, so singer Phil Oakey
promoted Adrian Wright from lights to keyboards
1 by stacking oscillators tuned
to open fifths. Given that the
original Jupiter-4 had a single osc (+sub)
2 other Filter Input, and find
Osc 2’s PD Value knob (above
where it says Saw) and crank it full. Run
and hurriedly put together a new version of The per voice, we’ll leave the fifths to you.
We’ll be using BazilleCM. Shut off the
a cable from the Filter’s 24dB Output up
to one of the Out 1 jacks. Locate Osc 1’s
League, recruiting Ian Burden and a pair of teen Delay, disconnect Osc 1 from Out 1 and Fine Tune knob (above Cents) and set
send Osc 1 to a Filter input instead. that to -7.0. Set Osc 2’s Fine Tune to 7.0.
girls he saw dancing at a club – Joanne Catherall
and Susan Ann Sulley – to provide backing vocals.
After the tour, the group hurried out a single, Boys
and Girls, before joining forces with producer
Martin Rushent for their first hit, The Sound of the
Crowd. The lineup was then completed with the
addition of Jo Callis. Don’t You Want Me is built
around a massive synth riff created primarily with
Roland’s Jupiter-4, a skittering sequence Set the Filter’s Cutoff to 25. Next, go over to Env 1. Give

(painstakingly programmed on a Roland MC-4), 3 Run a cable from Env 2’s Out
up to the Filter’s lower-left
jack and max the knob above that jack.
4 its Attack slider a nudge. The
Decay and Sustain settings
are fine. Push the Release up to 40 for
and the newly acquired LinnDrum. Initially, Phil Go to Envelope 2. Set its Attack to 15 and that characteristic tail-out. Fine tune as
Oakey was unhappy with Rushent and Callis’ mix, the Decay to around 33. The Sustain
should be set to around 41 or so, and
you like. Play the sound using open fifths
and stick a fat bass patch under your left
but was thankfully convinced to give it a go. Release should be set to 62. hand for the full effect.

58 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

It’s My Life > Step by step Jovian pad

Talk Talk
Year: 1984
Original Synth: Roland Jupiter-8
Plugin used: DuneCM

Released in 1984, the title cut from Talk Talk’s TUTORIAL

FILES
second LP wasn’t a big hit… initially. Though it
reached the Top 40 in the US, it stalled at number
46 in the UK. A subsequent re-release fared even It’s the chiming Jupiter-8 pad Set the Osc 1’s Fat knob to 14%
worse, barely entering the Top 100. However, after
being re-reissued alongside an anthology LP in
1 in the chorus that stands out.
We can create a similar sound
with Dune CM, starting with an Init
2 and Osc 2’s to 30%. Bring Osc
3 up to 64%. Set the Filter’s
Cutoff to 55%, and Reso to 17%. Env
Patch. Choose square waves for all three should be 40% and Key Track 60%.
1990, it reached number 13, the best the band ever oscillators. Set Osc 1’s Semi to +24, and Change the Filter mode to LP Ladder
managed at home. Osc 2’s to +36. Set Osc 1’s Fine to -20 and 24dB. Our sound is rich but static. We
Osc 2’s to 20. Osc Mix should be 48%. need to shape it.
A sublime slab of new wave, It’s My Life features
a series of unusual sonic effects over chiming
guitars, and shimmering pads over a throbbing
bassline, all in service to Mark Hollis’ Roy Orbison-
meets-Bryan Ferry vocals.
Buoyed by the success of their new wave and
synthpop records, Talk Talk would eventually shift
toward a more experimental, arty sound,
In the amp envelope, the Sounds good but it’s missing
exemplified by their critically-lauded and influential
fourth LP, Spirit of Eden. 3 Decay should be 66%, and the
Sustain 59%. The Release
should be 62%. On the filter envelope,
4 that most 80s element, the
reverb! Use Acon Digital CM
Verb and its Medium chamber program.
It’s My Life would once again enter the charts Decay should be set to 69% and Sustain We’ll nudge the Dry level down and
to 63%. The Release will need to be increase Reverb time for a lovely, thick
(and win a Grammy) when covered by American lengthy, so set it to around 62%. This pad. We’ve been heavy-handed with the
group No Doubt, as sung by Gwen Stefani. gives us the sort of bell-like fade out. ‘verb. Tweak yours as you like.

The robots return, this time with a paean to an business, authority, and a suggestion that we are all
automated environment. If only they could have dominated by the omniscient computer. But delicious
known what the future actually held. Scratch that, pop! Percolating sequences, tinkling leads, and that
maybe they did, given the way we now produce music ever-present, snappy backbeat, from the mighty
with computers! Computer World was the third single Minimoog. Eventually used to death by industrial
from the album of the same name, a lively, jaunty musicians, this resonant percussion would become all-
concoction of bleeps, whirs, hisses and pops. ‘Pop’ all too familiar. Here, however, Kraftwerk use it to inject
around, really; unlikely given the lyrics’ concern with their song with a relentless purpose.

Computer World
Kraftwerk > Step by step Resonant zap
Year: 1981
Original Synth:
Moog Minimoog
Plugin used:
ZebraCM TUTORIAL
FILES

u-he’s ZebraCM can recreate Kill the Velocity of both Beneath the display, we’ll Pan

1 the classic zap. Start with the

default patch, mix the Volume
of both oscillators, activate Noise,
2 envelopes, reduce the Sustain
of Env1 to nil. Env1’s Decay
should be set to 30, and its Release to 15,
3 our sound fully right. Go to
lower-left of the Mix & FX
section and activate the Delay1 effect. In
bringing its Volume up. Choose the LP Attack is 0. Env2’s Attack and Sustain will the Delay section, choose 1/32 Delay
Vintage Filter mode, crank the Cutoff likewise be 0. Its Decay will be set to Times and reduce Feedback and X-Back
fully and Key Follow down. Resonance about 23. Release will be 33. These give to nil. Pan controls will be set to the
and Env2 will be fully cranked. us the classic zap. Tweak to taste. right. Layer it with a clap for best effect.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 59

> make electronic music now / industrial

INDUSTRIAL
Aggressive, experimental and often atonal, this unapologetic assault on culture
enchanted the disenchanted, and influenced the very mainstream it despised…
For many, the term ‘Industrial’ conjures at turns sound like a symphony of printing classic, the latter reaching for accessibility.
the tuneful primal scream behind Nine presses or an unashamed nod to Tangerine By the late 80s, many defining bands gained
Inch Nails or in-your-face aggro of Ministry. Dream – and just about anything in between. popularity, with Skinny Puppy setting the stage
For others, the moniker is forever linked with Industrial music in its most familiar form with horror movie samples, unusual beats and
the electronic body music of Front 242. Yet, as wouldn’t happen until the art-noise contingent shock theatre. The guitar-driven junkie growl of
a genre, it was initially harder to pin down began adding drum machine-derived rhythms. Ministry and emotionalism of NiN – and booty-
than its familiar form of the late-80s. Ex-Throbbing Gristlers Chris and Cosey shaking beats of Front 242’s Headhunter –
Monte Cazazza coined the term to describe predicted the future with Trance, while Cabaret re-drew the map others would follow.
the art-noise of bands like Throbbing Gristle. Voltaire shook Sheffield with the unlikely funk of Let’s make a track with the software and
Bleak, hopeless, dystopian, and with the faint Sensoria. Severed Heads and SPK were there, samples at filesilo.co.uk (Bookazines/ Music
whiff of desiccation, early industrial music could too, the former creating an unlikely dance-floor Producer’s Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. Banging beats and riveting rhythms

TUTORIAL
FILES

In this tutorial, we’ll be whipping up an The best-known industrial bands Thorn CM is a keen synth/sequencer

1 old-school Industrial track in the

predominately electronic style of bands
like Frontline Assembly, Klinik, and A Split
Second, but with modern touches. Use
2 leaned heavily on powerful rhythms,
often from unconventional sources. We’ll
start with a rhythmic sequence, courtesy
of Thorn CM, which we’ll instantiate on
3 combo with a preset that will perfectly
suit our needs. Find it in the instrument’s
preset browser in the upper right. Open
the Seq submenu. Find a patch called
your preferred DAW, but, as in the track 1. In Waveform, this is done by Glitch Elastic. If that sounds too modern,
previous section, we’re using Tracktion dragging the grey “+” widget into the rest assured, industrial musicians were
Waveform Free. You can grab that (for track’s Outputs panel on the right, left of making glitchy sounds long before
free!) from www.tracktion.com. Volume. Select the plugin from the menu. anyone thought to give it a name!

Create a new 8-bar MIDI clip at the Click the ‘L’ button in the clip’s header We’ll name our track, calling it

4 start of bar 5, track 1. In Waveform, do

this by dragging the red ‘+’ to the desired
position, wherein you’ll be given the
option of creating a new MIDI clip. Double-
5 to loop it. Now, using the handle on
the upper-right, drag it out to the end of
bar 28. This clip will be our intro and
‘verse’ section. We’ll fill in those first four
6 GlitchSeq. Now we’ll move to track 2,
into which we’ll drop an instance of Dope
VST’s Beat Machine CM. We’ll dial in the
preset called [1] Lost Cannon. This will give
click the clip for an expanded view. You bars later. Create another 8-bar clip at bar us a powerful sampled kick drum. Create a
can record or draw in the note data. In this 29. This one will consist of two bars each looped 2-bar clip and enter hits (C2) on
case, it’ll simply be a single, sustained C#3 of E3 and D#3, repeated. This bit will act as every down and backbeat. Embellish with
note over the entire eight bars. a ‘chorus’ section. rapid-fire 16ths at the start of each bar.

60 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 industrial / make electronic music now <

>Step by step 1. Banging beats and riveting rhythms (continued)

For ease, use the same kick clip for That’s a good sound – less like a snare, Bring another instance of Beat

7 both verse and chorus. But we’ll

create at least two different snare clips.
First, we need a snare. Open StiX CM on
track 3. Click the Snare button in the top-
8 more like a bit of scrap metal! Create a
2-bar clip for the verse section. Here, you’ll
just be laying snare hits on the backbeat.
Predictable, but necessary! Now create
9 machine CM in, putting this one on
track 4. The preset called Koolish has an
effectively metallic hi-hat sound. Create a
2-bar clip and play or draw in a persistent
left for its parameters. Using the Drum another 2-bar clip for the chorus. This rhythm. Create a variation for the chorus
Preset browser, find the Snare category time, add a couple of extra hits to add a bit section or use the same pattern
and then load SN Sample Overtone LtZ. of energy and interest. throughout. We’ve chosen the former.

>Step by step 2. Bass

TUTORIAL
FILES

Now we’ve got a basic beat, let’s add We’ll go for something brazenly We’ve looped the new clip and

1 bass. Industrial basses were often

busy, staccato affairs. Cabaret Voltaire
might use a bit of funk; others were
downright robotic. Sounds were often
2 digital, and Thorn CM has just the
thing. It’s called Chrome and is found in
the Bass category presets. This patch
sounds a bit like a cross between a classic
3 stretched it to the end of bar 28. When
satisfied with your ‘verse’, it’s time to
move on to the chorus section. In our
example, we’ve created a much longer clip
from analogue synths but sampled basses FM bass and those made famous by the – eight bars, in fact. As with the GlitchSeq
and digital sounds were popular, too. PPG Wave. Create a 2-bar MIDI clip and clip, we’ve repeated an E and D# pattern
Again, instantiate a new Thorn CM track. draw in a busy pattern as seen here. with occasional embellishments.

FOUR INDUSTRIAL CLASSICS PRO TIPS

THROBBING GRISTLE SKINNY PUPPY TALKING POINTS
20 JAZZ FUNK GREATS MIND: THE PERPETUAL Dialogue snippets are a staple of Industrial
TG can’t be pinned down to a INTERCOURSE productions. Sci-fi and horror movies on VHS were
single example. From the aggro The Canadian scaremeisters’ popular resources, as were televangelists. Early
Discipline to the poppy Hot On third full LP, Mind:TPI is at times samplers were costly affairs, so industrial musicians
the Heels of Love, this one is a difficult, angry, wistful and latched onto lo-fi toy keyboards and cut-priced
confusing, diverse masterpiece. terrifying. Wonderfully weird. samplers such as Ensoniq’s 8-bit Mirage, and it wasn’t
unheard of to use tape or a looping digital delay unit.
bit.ly/tg_bh bit.ly/skppy_mtpi Little attention was paid to copyrights then, but in
these more litigious times, we’d advise you to stick to
FACTRIX MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL flicks in the public domain!
SCHEINTOT KILL KULT I SEE GOOD
So terrifying is this melée of SPIRITS, I SEE BAD SPIRITS ABRASIVE ACTIONS
beatboxes/feedback-laced guitars, Funny, filthy, and with some catchy When making an industrial track, there are three words
we hesitated to include it. Hailing riffs, the Chicago Wax Trax outfit to note: distortion, distortion, distortion! While a typical
from a time when industrial/goth made some classic industrial slabs rock act might apply liberal distortion to guitars,
was less a genre than an attitude. before ditching dystopia for disco. industrial bands slathered it on everything, notably
vocals. This was aggressive, unfriendly music; the idea
of perverting a typically appealing sound was top of
bit.ly/fctrx_schntt bit.ly/mlwttkk_isgs every industrialist’s mission brief.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 61

> make electronic music now / industrial

Dystopian dissonances > Step by step 3. DIY samples

Industrial music is meant to
disturb. Art terrorism taken to
the extreme and reflected in the
fashions of its fans. It was as
nihilistic as punk, but with an
intellectual bent, fuelled on
apocalyptic science-fiction and a
fetish for machinery. It embraced
taboos such as psychopathy, TUTORIAL
sexual deviance, the occult, and – FILES
on rare occasions – fascism.
These disturbing subjects
were reflected in the music as
well as the sound design.
Industrial music was often
favoured by untrained musicians Industrial music is chocked full of We’re going to drop our file into the
who hadn’t a clue about song
structure, metre or key
signatures. And when musos got
involved, they intentionally
1 found sounds. We found two pieces of
metal tubing and took them into an empty
concrete room where we whacked ‘em
together a few times. The natural reverb
2 beginning of the song, trimming it
down to a couple of nice-sounding hits.
We’ll open the same file in an audio editor
and select the best hit, trimming off the
eschewed any formal music was ideal. We recorded it in a decidedly rest. We’ll fade the tail a bit and export it as
theory, choosing instead key- lo-fi (if anachronistic) manner, using an a new file.
less, dissonant juxtapositions. iPhone and the built-in mic.
Songs were often built on a single
chord, and even then, dissonant
notes were usually introduced.
Vocalists rarely sang, but instead
grunted, growled, shrieked and
screamed their lyrics – which
were almost always bleak and
with a cautionary tone.
In other words, forget what
you know, or wilfully flaunt your
ignorance. This music is not
about melody or harmony – quite
the opposite, in fact!

Because copyright is a concern, we’ll We’ll create another sample, using CM

3 ‘roll our own’ sampled dialogue. We’ll

use a cheap hand-held mic and say
something suitably creepy. We’ll record
this bit onto a new track close to the
4 EQ-UA87 to make a ‘telephone’ effect.
We’ll drag the sample into an instance of
Loomer CumulusVST. Next, we’ll put a few
slice markers in and tweak the
song’s start. We can add to the dark mood parameters. We’ll play it straight a couple
by lowering the pitch of the sample by five of times, but also create another clip
semi-tones or more. where the sample stutters and glitches.

> Step by step 4. Vocals

TUTORIAL
FILES

Our track is just a bit sluggish at the Classic industrial vocalists grunted, Let’s add some effects. Start by

1 default BPM, so we’re going to nudge

our tempo up to 125 while we still can.
Waveform will dutifully push everything
into its proper position for us. Next, create
2 growled, and grumbled. We’ll growl a
few unsettling words that reflect the
anxiety of our times. Don’t worry if your
voice sounds goofy – we’ll render it all but
3 compressing the track with the
CM-COMP 87 using a Ratio of 7:1 and a
Threshold of -17dB. Bring in SpeakerSim
CM, selecting the Walkie Talkie. Boost the
a new audio track and grab a mic. It’s time unrecognisable in the next walkthrough. EQ’s mids. Finally, stick PSP’s cmDelay on,
to track some vocals! For the purpose of our demonstration, using the Basic Short Delay patch. Turn
we’ve tracked only a single verse. Sync on and set Delay Time to 1:16.

62 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 industrial / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 5. Arranging and mixing

TUTORIAL
FILES

Finishing touches time. Instantiate It’s a bit too stark in the middle bit, so There’s still something missing at the

1 Alpha CM and load up the preset

called Cold Pad. Play and hold a droning
chord for the first 16 bars. Put the dialogue
snippets over the intro pad for dramatic
2 add the bass back in. Remember those
single clangs we edited? Put them there,
on every other backbeat and do the same
for the last eight bars. It might be effective
3 end. Maybe we need something more
organic – say, a guitar? Let’s record a few
simple sustained notes or chords over the
last 16 bars. Add drive with Valve Filter CM.
effect. Introduce instruments gradually, to have our pad double the choruses in Use CM-EQUA 87 to reduce lows and
alternating verses and choruses, dropping the latter half of the song. boost mids. Stark CM’s Rich Chords preset
instruments in and out. adds the final touch.

The guitar is a bit too overwhelming. Our guitar track sounds cool, but it It may be wise to walk away for a bit to

4 We like the timbre, but it takes up too

much space. We can fix that with some
meticulous volume automation. We’ll
create an interesting rhythm using
5 can be even cooler with an instance of
PSP’s cmDelay. Drag one in, but place it
after the track’s volume fader so that it is
unaffected by our automation. Call up the
6 give your ears a break before
performing your final mix. A good
approach is to bring all the levels down,
then loop various busy sections, mixing
Waveform’s automation curves, making ‘C>L>R’ preset and activate the tempo each in turn. Some engineers will stick a
sure the volume ‘peaks’ are in sync with sync. Now set the Delay Time to 1:8. compressor on the master bus while they
our bar lines and beats. mix it.

POWER TIP

Subversive sounds > No-Fi

Rock ‘n’ roll has Further to that, industrial artists often The production style of industrial
always embraced refused to be limited to traditional ranges from the very lowest fidelity
aggressive and instrumentation, choosing instead to create to full-blown studio productions
even atonal sounds their cacophonous rhythms by banging on oil and everything in between. The
earliest bands often recorded on
at times – the cans, girders, pipes, just about anything that
two and four-track cassette
barely contained might produce a thud or clank. Groups like machines, while bands like Skinny
feedback squall Test Dept. and Einstürzende Neubauten Puppy and Ministry made use of all
that opens The performed in scrapyards, abandoned of the technology of the then-
Beatles’ I Feel Fine buildings and built their own instruments modern studio. Most bands worked
being one example from found or salvaged objects. somewhere in between. Thanks to
– but industrial artists went much further, This approach took a massive leap forward early MIDI sequencers and multi-
producing sounds that were intentionally when samplers entered the scene. SPK’s timbral synths and samplers, full
arrangements could be created
abrasive and even at times painful. Whereas Graeme Revell sampled printing presses and
without heading to the studio.
rock artists might use feedback as an other machines for SPK’s Zamia Lehmani LP However, Industrial acts often took
occasional accent to the main event, Industrial and even went so far as to create an entire perverse joy in eschewing any
musicians might make it the dominant sound album from insect noises for his aptly-named semblance of commercial
throughout the arrangement. solo effort The Insect Musicians. production values.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 63

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

Billie Jean > Step by step Intro chords

Michael Jackson
Year: 1983
Original Synth: CS-80
Plugins used: Dune & ThornCM

Not many songs are instantly recognisable just TUTORIAL

FILES
from a couple of synth chords, but Billie Jean is
one. The song remains one of the biggest singles
of all time with over 10 million copies sold to date. This was created using two The original has a more
Co-produced by the legendary Quincy Jones
alongside the king of pop himself, the song is a
1 distinct preset voices on the
Yamaha CS-80 (String 1 and
Brass 2). We’ll take a pair of synths to
2 staccato feel than this string
preset, so reduce the Amp
Env Release to 35%. Turn to the brass
mimic it, so load DuneCM and ThornCM layer. Open ThornCM, and load the PAD
masterpiece of music production thanks to its on separate channels. Open DuneCM Brass preset. Increase the Max Voices
stripped-back grooves, unique drum sound, clever and String Section preset. Reduce the from four to eight, so ThornCM doesn’t
channel to -6dB to balance the volume. run out of voices on the third chord.
recording techniques (backing vocals sung
through a cardboard tube, anyone?) and creative
use of then pioneering music tech. Even the mix by
Bruce Swedien, who normally nailed his mixes in
one take, was done over 90 times.
The iconic, string-like chords in the intro were
laid down by Jackson using a Yamaha CS-80
alongside a splash of reverb for effect, and we’ll be
Disable the onboard delay Change ThornCM’s Master
using DuneCM alongside ThornCM to create our
own version. 3 and reverb effects, then
reduce output Volume to 15%,
so our two layers are balanced.
4 Tuning to -24, so the patch
shifts down an octave for
thickness. Add reverb to glue the
Reducing the Amp Env’s Release to 25% patches. Group both synths, and add
gives a tighter sound to our layered HY-FX CM. Choose the reverb preset,
synth combo. Reducing Filter Cutoff to and set Decay to around 8 o’clock. Set
150Hz lets the string patch shine. Wet/Dry to around 20% to finish.

Perhaps the only song ever to have its video according to longtime collaborator Lisa Coleman,
played for 24 hours straight, courtesy of a VH1 Prince had a tendency to “just use a preset, and
stunt to welcome in its namesake year, 1999 was brighten the f**k out of it!”. The introduction lead
originally released as a single in 1982. part has a brassy, shiny texture to it, and it would
The song made heavy use of the many have been played using an Oberheim Four
synthesisers and drum machines installed at Voice keyboard.
Prince’s Paisley Park studio. It’s quite likely that the Now, let’s make our own version of this iconic
sound was actually an Oberheim preset as, tone, once again using the excellent ThornCM plugin...

1999
Prince > Step by step Intro lead
Year: 1982
Original Synth:
Oberheim Four Voice
Plugin used:
ThornCM TUTORIAL
FILES

Start by setting Osc 1 to the Modulate the pulse width of Reduce Master Vol to 20%.

1 Organ 01 waveform. Pitch the

osc up by an octave, giving
our patch a sharp tone. Turn on Osc 2
2 both oscs using an LFO, for
subtle movement. Set the FX
Type of both oscs to Pulse-Width
3 Add reverb, increase Filter
Res to 40%, then push Drive
to 6dB to make up lost gain. Add Reverb
and select the Pulse Sweep waveform. Modulation, then assign LFO1 to both at 10%. Push the reverb Treble control to
This adds thickness and depth. Reducing dials. Change LFO Speed to ¼ notes, so 100% to disable high freq damping, for a
the Amp Sustain to 45%, and Release to the sound is less warbly. Set Filter Mode brighter sound. Reduce Speed to a slow
20% tightens the sound’s envelope up. to CleanLP, Cutoff around 9kHz. 8/1, then set the Modulation to 60%.

64 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

Chime > Step by step Chime chunky bass

Orbital
Year: 1989
Original Synth: Yamaha DX100
Plugin used: Thorn CM

One of UK dance music’s most seminal early TUTORIAL

FILES
records, Chime was the first single released by
the Hartnoll brothers under the name Orbital, and
reached number 17 in the UK singles chart Set Osc 1’s waveform to FM Set Osc 1’s Phase mode to
following its re-release on Pete Tong’s FFFR in 1990
– not bad for a record quickly knocked up before a
1 05, a similar timbre to the
sound we’re recreating. Next,
pitch the oscillator down by an octave,
2 Gate to make it consistent, as
the oscillator starts the wave
at the same place for each note. Turn on
so the sound sits in the right register. Osc 2 and choose the square wave. Turn
trip to the pub! Originally recorded in their home We’ll increase the Unison Voices to 2, the Volume down to 0, then increase
studio, which was under the staircase of all places, and push the Detuning amount up to 10 Osc 1’s FM Amount to 62, using Osc 2 to
to thicken the sound. modulate the frequency of Osc 1.
Chime was mastered onto the Hartnoll family
cassette tape player, which ran a little too quickly,
making the final record slower than intended – an
anomaly that wasn’t fixed until the Orbital boys
re-recorded the track in a professional studio for
the re-released version a year later. As with many
rave records made at the time, Chime combines a
selection of samples taken from an old
Turn on Noise generator, and Set the Cutoff to 200Hz, and
instrumental record with synths, alongside a drum
machine track. We’re focusing on the chunky bass 3 set the Vol to 30%; this adds
some fizzy crunch. We’ll turn
on the distortion effect, select the
4 the Res to 40%. Increase the
Env 1 Amount to 20%, so the
filter is modulated by the envelope.
taken from a Yamaha DX100. So, let’s run through SoftGain preset and reduce the Mix to Reduce Env 1 Sustain to 0% to make the
20%; this adds saturation, giving the modulation subtle. Increase Filter Drive
how to make our own homage to this sound using sound a rounded tone. Next, shape with to 10dB; this makes up the gain lost from
the brilliant ThornCM. the filter – choose Dirty LP. applying the filter, while adding crunch.

Inspired by Bowie’s Space Oddity, Joey Tempest which the keyboardist employed a Roland JX-8P
of the Swedish band Europe wrote the main riff and a preset from a Yamaha TX816 to create the
for The Final Countdown on a borrowed Korg Polysix opening fanfare.
way back in ‘81, eventually demoing it for his The band never intended Countdown to become
bandmates in ‘85. They weren’t impressed, with the lead single from the album of the same name.
guitarist John Norum singling out the now-iconic Their label had other ideas and it was released to a
synth intro as a sticking point. Luckily, Tempest rapturous record-buying public, eventually scaling to
stood his ground and the band cut the song, on an impressive number 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The Final Countdown

Europe > Step by step Synth brass
Year: 1986
Original Synth:
Roland JX-8P,
Yamaha TX816
Plugin used: TUTORIAL
FILES
DuneCM

Starting with Dune CM’s Init Dest 4 and 5 are Osc 1 Fine The Mod Env’s Attack and

1 Patch, we set our Osc Mix to

55% and Osc 3’s Level to 39%.
Opening Mod Matrix 1>12, we set both
2 and Osc 2 Fine, respectively.
Amount 4 is +5, Amount 5 is -7.
LFO1’s Rate is 0.2Hz, LFO2’s is 0.1. In the
3 Decay should both be set to
30%, Sustain shut off. Not bad,
but go back to the Filter and select LP
Source 2 and 3 to Mod Env. Dest 1 is Osc 1 Filter, Cutoff is 37%, Env is 75%. Key Ladder 12dB for a vintage sound. Put
Fine, and Amount 2 +50. Dest 2 is Osc 2 Track is 36%. Amp Env’s Attack is 19%. PSP’s cmDelay on, with ¼-note synced
Fine, Amount 2 at -50. Source 4 and 5 are Filter Env’s Attack is 26%, Decay should echoes, the Wet signal down. A bit of
LFO 1 and LFO2, respectively. be 18% and Sustain will be 66%. Acon Digital CM Verb might be nice, too!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 65

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

> Step by step Sweet Dreams main riff

TUTORIAL
FILES

Sweet Dreams (Are Made

Of This)
Eurythmics We’ll be using Dune CM to recreate the We’ll select Pulse Width from the Osc

Year: 1983
Original Synth: Oberheim
1 main synth riff from the classic
Eurythmics track. We’ll start with an Init
patch, and set the Osc Mix dead centre.
We’ll choose a square wave for Osc 1, and
2 Common menu as the destination,
with an Amount of 74%. Going to LFO 1,
we’ll set its Rate to 0.02Hz. We’ll set Osc 1’s
Fine tuning to -0.4, and Osc 2’s to 0.4. In
OB-X, Roland SH-101 nudge both Fat knobs to 9%. In Osc the filter section, we’ll crank the Cutoff
Common, we’ll set the P/Width to 19%. fully down and Key Track fully up. The Env
Plugin used: Dune CM Clicking Mod Matrix 1>12, we’ll choose LFO amount should be 72% or so.
1 for the second Source.
Eurythmics’ hit single seemed to come out of
nowhere, yet the road to success was long
and arduous for the duo of Annie Lennox and
Dave Stewart.
Having met in 1975, the pair initially played
together as members of The Catch, a punk outfit
that would eventually morph into a five piece
pop/new wave band The Tourists, with whom
they’d cut three LPs. Despite some success with
the band, tensions within the group and the
artistic constraints of a band left Stewart and
Lennox dissatisfied and determined to carry on
as a duo, bringing in various collaborators as
and when needed.
Calling themselves Eurythmics, they debuted
with In the Garden, recorded with Conny Plank
in 1981. Contributors to the LP include Can’s We’ll set the Amp Env’s Attack to We’ll use AlphaCM for the bass. Open
Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebzeit, D.A.F.’s Robert
Görl, and Blondie’s Clem Burke.
A hybrid of electronic, post punk, and
3 around 11%, Decay and Sustain to 68%,
and Release to 47% or so. The Filter
Envelope’s Attack should be 23%, Decay
and Sustain at 88%, and Release should be
4 the preset browser and choose Z-Init.
Set both Osc’s Wave fully to their A waves.
Select Square1 as Osc 1’s A wave. Set its
Detune knob to just over 9 o’clock. In the
Krautrock, this rather fine debut was all but
set to about 68%. That gets us the main Matrix, we’ll select LFO 1 as the first mod
overlooked, leaving Lennox and Stewart to riff sound. Now we’ll pan it hard right, just source, and Osc 1 Symmetry as its
rethink their approach. They decided to retain as it was in the original. destination, with an amount of 1.00.
the name, but to go it alone.
As such, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is
by necessity an exercise in restraint. After the
commercial disappointment of their previous
album, the duo sequestered themselves away in
a small project studio they’d outfitted with the
help of a bank loan. There they toiled away with
the merest handful of secondhand synths, an
8-track recorder, and a single microphone.
Built around a rhythm bed created with their
recently acquired Movement Systems Drum
Computer, purchased with yet another loan,
Sweet Dreams... is built on a simple bass
sequence from a Roland SH-101, over which
Lennox was inspired to play another part on a
borrowed Oberheim OB-X. The latter began as a
stock strings patch, tweaked for a faster attack.
These sounds are panned in the final mix. It’s the
Clicking the LFO’s Rate display, we’ll The Filter Envelope’s Decay should be

5 6
combination of these two sounds that form the
select Off to detach it from host sync. at 11 o’clock, and its Release at 2
memorable riff heard throughout the tune.
We’ll set its frequency to 0.42. In the o’clock. The Amp Envelope’s Decay and
matrix, we’ll select Note as another Sustain knobs should both be at around 10
source, with Filter Cutoff its destination. o’clock, and the Release just under 11
Amount will be 0.3350. In the Filter, we o’clock. That’s about it for the bass patch.
crank the Cutoff knob fully down, and set It should be panned hard left and mixed
the Filter Envelope Depth to 3 o’clock. against the main riff. A bit of reverb
wouldn’t go amiss!

66 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

Remember the children’s book about the and finally released to an uninterested public,
little train engine that just couldn’t seem to reaching 137 on the UK singles chart.
get up that hill? a-ha must have taken its tale of At this point, Warner Brothers America
perseverance to heart, as their signature hit offered to finance yet another version. This
went through multiple bands, titles, revisions, latest attempt was built around a LinnDrum
and releases before finally becoming one of the beat, a DX7 bass, and PPG Wave. The main riff
most memorable tunes of the 1980s. was played on a Roland Juno-60, and doubled
Pre-a-ha, guitarist Päl Waaktaar and with another synth – possibly a DX7.
keyboardist Magne Furuholmen had a band WB America released this latest version along
called Bridges, with whom they wrote a song with a music video of the band performing…
called Panorama which became Miss Eerie, and only to meet the same indifference.
it contained a certain familiar synth riff. At this point, any sane persons involved
After Bridges disbanded, they joined forces should have cut their losses. However, producer
with singer Morten Harket as a-ha and together Alan Tarney gave the song a once-over and an
they did a version of Miss Eerie – now renamed innovative new video was commissioned from
Take On Me Lesson One. This new version would be retitled director Steve Barron. The rest, as they say...
a-ha yet again as Take On Me.
The new group recorded a
Year: 1984 demo of the tune, re-recorded
Original Synth: Roland it with producer John Ratcliffe,
and eventually inked a deal
Juno-60 with Warner Bros UK. After an
Plugin used: Alpha CM unsatisfactory mix from
producer Tony Mansfield, the
song was re-mixed yet again

> Step by step Take On Me Juno patch

TUTORIAL
FILES

We don’t have the space to recreate We’ll start by building up our We’ll set Osc 2’s Wave knob to 1 o’clock

1 both the analogue and digital

constituents of this patch, but as the
Roland Juno-60 was front-and-centre of
the original, you get pretty close with
2 waveforms. Going to Osc 1, we’ll select
the wave called Square2 as our B wave,
and we’ll set the Wave knob to around 2
o’clock. Next, we’ll push the Detune knob
3 or so. Let’s reduce the octave of Osc
2’s A slot to -1. Now, let’s go to the Mix
section and set the Mix to a little past the
10 o’clock position. That’s the oscillators
AlphaCM, which was originally intended to up to the 10 o’clock position. Now, for Osc sorted. Moving on to the filter section,
resemble the Juno series. Let’s load it up, 2. Here, we’ll select Square1 as the A wave, we’ll click the 24 button. Let’s set the
and click on the browser at the bottom to and Sawtooth as the B wave. Cutoff to just under 10 o’clock.
locate and load the Z-Init patch.

We’ll likewise set the Res to just under Next, we set the Filter Envelope’s As you might have guessed, we need

4 10 o’clock. In the matrix, we’ll choose

Note as a mod source and Filter Cutoff as
its destination, with an amount of 0.74 or
so. Back in the filter, we’ll crank the
5 Release to just over halfway. Moving
to the amp section, we’ll set its Decay to
just below 2 o’clock, Sustain fully down,
and Release to just past the 10 o’clock
6 to activate the chorus effect, as it was
a big part of the Juno sound back in the
1980s. We’ll crank the Wet knob up to the
halfway mark. We’ll set the Time to 1
Envelope Depth Knob nearly full. We’ll set mark. This gets us close to the o’clock, and the Rate to 3 o’clock. Ah, that
the Sustain to just past 11 o’clock, and the characteristic pluck sound of the original does the trick, getting us much closer to
Decay to about 10 o’clock. tune, but there’s still something missing. the original patch.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 67

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

As most of you will surely know, New Order Blue Monday itself quite literally originated in
were created by the surviving members of the club scene. The band’s label opened the
Joy Division after that band’s frontman, Ian now-legendary Haçienda in 1982, and the
Curtis, took his own life in 1980. Bassist Peter opening night saw New Order play a lengthy
Hook, guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer number that included elements that would later
Stephen Morris had – along with Curtis – vowed be recycled in their biggest hit.
not to use the name Joy Division should any Recorded in 1982, Blue Monday was
member of that band depart, so the remaining propelled by a stomping kick drum from an
trio assumed a new moniker and added a new Oberheim DMX drum machine, an out-of-sync
member, Morris’ girlfriend Gillian Gilbert, on sequencer line, and choirs (allegedly) sampled
keys and second guitar. Sumner was assigned from a Kraftwerk album. A distinctive Moog
vocal duties on the basis that he could Source bass snakes through the disparate
comfortably alternate between singing and elements. Sumner’s purposely pallid croon
playing his guitar. drapes it all in a sepulchral shroud.
The band’s first single, Ceremony, was Not that the listeners where paying attention
composed during the final days of Joy Division to the lyrics – they were too busy dancing. It sold
Blue Monday and carries on that band’s post-punk style, as did like mad, going on to become the biggest-selling
New Order the band’s first album of newly-penned songs. 12” single of all time.
However, a trip to New York introduced the band In something of an ironic twist, the expense of
Year: 1983 to new dance music, including Italian disco. producing Peter Saville’s artful packaging meant
Original Synth: Electronics and dance elements began to play that it actually lost money each time a copy was
increasingly prominent roles with each sold. Needless to say, Blue Monday was eventually
Moog Source successive release. re-issued with a slightly more conservative sleeve...
Plugin used:
u-he Bazille

> Step by step Blue Monday bass

TUTORIAL
FILES

It’s fitting that a single that would First, we’ll disconnect Osc 1’s Output Go to the FX: Delay section and

1 shape the future of music would be

made with an instrument that could
charitably be referred to as “space age” in
appearance! Moog’s The Source was a
2 cable from Out 1, and insert it instead
into the top-left Filter Input. We’ll patch
Osc 2’s Output to the other Filter Input.
The Filter’s LP24 Output will now go to the
3 deactivate the delay effect. Let’s start
shaping the sound. Set Osc 1’s Modify
knob to -2 and Osc 1’s Modify knob to 2.
Find Osc 2’s Waveform menu (it says Saw)
garish delight in silver, orange and blue. Out 1 jack previously occupied by Osc 1. and turn the knob above it fully clockwise.
Luckily, it sounded better than it looked. Next, we’ll route a cable from Env 2’s Now, nudge Osc 1’s Phase knob up to
We’ll be using u-he’s BazilleCM to recreate Output to the Filter’s lower-left Input. around 9.
this legendary bass sound.

Our sound is pretty burly at this point, To get Env 2 in on the action, we’ll The sound still isn’t quite there – we

4 but lacks any sort of shape. Go to Env 1

(it controls the amplitude). Set the Decay
and Sustain sliders fully up. Set Release to
about 23. Now let’s go to the Filter. We’ll
5 need to shove the Filter’s lower-left
knob up to a value of around 96. This is
the knob controlling the amount of
modulation coming from Env 2. While
6 need to see to Env 2. The Attack is OK
at nil. The Decay should be pushed up to
about 22. The Sustain slider should be set
to around 33, and the Release should be at
set the Cutoff knob to around 42. Our we’re in the Filter, we’ll nudge the Res around 29. This gives us a close
sound is now all but inaudible. Don’t panic! knob up to about 26 for some of the approximation of New Order’s Moog
That’s where Env 2 comes in. squelch we hear in the original patch. patch, but feel free to tweak it further!

68 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 80s synth sounds / sound design <

The formation of Pet Shop Boys was a from their contract with Orlando and signed
largely unremarkable tale – Smash Hits with EMI, for whom they re-recorded the song
journalist meets architecture student while with Stephen Hague in the role of producer.
purchasing a synth (Korg MS-10) at a hi-fi shop. This time around, they tracked their
The story of how their smash hit single, West synthpop/hip-hop mashup at London’s Advision
End Girls, came to be, on the other hand, is a bit Studios, making use of the facility’s 24-track
more... convoluted. deck and SSL console while there.
The single was recorded and released not Kicking off (no pun intended) with the
once, but twice, and both versions were instantly recognisable Oberheim DMX drum
successful, one as an underground club 12”, the machine and layered string samples from both
other as a worldwide smash. E-mu Emulator I and Emulator II, the
At the start, Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and meticulously-programmed rhythm parts are
Chris Lowe worked with famed American Hi-NRG driven along by a thick, analogue bass line.
producer Bobby O (Bobby Orlando), with whom Played – not sequenced – by Lowe, the
they recorded a dozen tunes, West End Girls seemingly simple bass sound was created with a
West End Girls among them. On the initial version of the tune Roland Jupiter-6, layered via MIDI to a Yamaha
Pet Shop Boys you can hear Orlando playing nearly every part, DX7 percussive patch played in the lower
with the exception of the bassline and a single registers. An Emulator bass drum is also there,
Year: 1985 chord, both of which were provided by Lowe. played chromatically along with the rest.
Original Synth: Yamaha Released in 1984, this comparatively This layered bass propels the tune along,
stripped-down, minimal version of the tune was from start to finish, the perfect underpinning for
DX7, Roland Jupiter-6, a hit with DJs in San Francisco and LA and the laid-back spoken word lyric.
E-mu Emulator II charted in Europe. This time, the song was a worldwide smash,
Eventually, the duo extracted themselves rising to the top of both US and UK charts.
Plugin used: Dune CM

> Step by step West End Girls bass

TUTORIAL
FILES

If you’ve read our description, you’ll We’ll start with our oscillators in the We’ll use Osc 2’s Semi knob to lower

1 know that the bass heard in West End

Girls is anything but a simple patch,
requiring no less than three instruments
to create its distinctive thump. However,
2 upper-right. Osc 1 is set to a sawtooth –
and that’s ideal. For Osc 2, we’ll click the
Sel button and use the up/down arrows
below it to select wave number 14. This is
3 the pitch by 12 steps. Next, we’ll set the
Osc Mix to around 26%. We’ll select the
triangle wave for Osc 3, and set its level to
about 31%. This is a pretty thick sound, and
we can get quite close with a single more complex than usual analogue waves will give the filter something to chew on.
instrument – assuming that instrument is and will help us get closer to the stacked Now we’ll move on to that filter section.
one as good as Dune CM. Let’s instantiate sound of the original.
it and load up an Init patch.

Select the Lowpass 24dB filter model Let’s do the amp envelope first. There, Nudge the Filter Env’s Attack up to

4 to better match up to the filter on the

original Jupiter-6. We’ll set the Cutoff to
around 28% and the Reso to about 24%.
We’ll set the Key Track to 27% or so. The
5 we’ll leave our Attack as is and set the
Decay to 71%. Our Sustain level can be set
to, oh, 64% or so. We might need to tweak
this later. Now, we’ll push the Release up
6 around 9%. Now, set its Decay to 59%.
Set its Sustain level to around 63%. Finally,
set the Release to 61%. This gets us quite
close to the sound of the complex sound
filter envelope plays a big role in this to around 44%. We can’t really hear it yet, of the original bass patch. Feel free to
sound. We’ll set the Env Amount to around as the Filter Env needs to be tweaked. tweak it further – or even stack it with
60%. Now to shape our envelopes! another synth of two!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 69

> sound design / recreate famous 80s synth sounds

> Step by step Blade Runner brass

TUTORIAL
FILES

The iconic synthetic brass patch that We’ll open the Filters category of our
Blade Runner Main Titles
Vangelis
1 sets the mood in Blade Runner is
actually a simple sound that depends
heavily on Vangelis’ performance and
generous reverb. We’ll attempt a similar –
2 Audio Components, and then the
Virtual Analog sub-category. There, we
find Voltage Controlled Low Pass and
Voltage Controlled High Pass
Year: 1982 albeit simplified – patch using Fathom CM. components. Drag one each into the
Original Synth: Yamaha CS80 We’ve expanded the Oscillator category in patch. Run a cable from each Analog Saw
the Audio Components section, then module into the High-Pass filter, and then
Plugin used: Fathom CM dragged in two Analog Saw modules from run a cable from the High Pass module to
the Alias Free sub-category. the Low Pass.

To say that Yamaha’s CS80 synthesiser was

vital to the success of Blade Runner may
seem like an overstatement. Yet, it’s hard to
imagine an instrument that has become more
identified with a soundtrack on which it was
used. Indeed, there can be few dramatic films in
which the soundtrack was as thoroughly
embedded and as important to the mood as the
lighting, set design or even the dialogue.
By the time he’d been tapped to score Blade
Runner, Greek musician Vangelis had led a
storied career. As keyboardist for rock band
Aphrodite’s Child, he’d recorded a classic of
psychedelic art rock in the form of their LP, 666.
As a solo artist, he’d created some of the most
memorable film scores of the 1970s and kicked Sounds pretty dull. Select a Sawtooth Selecting the High Pass module, we’ll
off the 1980s by winning an Oscar for his work
on Chariots of Fire.
With his haunting score for Ridley Scott’s
3 module to access its parameters in the
lower section. Reduce the Pitch Octave to
-1.0, and the Pitch Fine to -0.03. Click the
Detune tab and activate the Detune
4 set the Cutoff Frequency to around
600, with Resonance at just under 1.90. In
the Low Pass module, we’ll set the Cutoff
to 24 and Resonance to 0.64. Key Track
dystopian masterpiece Blade Runner, Vangelis
switch. Now, click the other Sawtooth will be 0.272. Click/highlight the Cutoff
crafted a sonic soundscape that perfectly
module and set its Pitch Fine to 0.03. Frequency knob, then click the Add Mod
described the loneliness and alienation of the Switch on Detune for this one, too. Things button. A new Modulator will be added on
futuristic cityscape and its denizens. are starting to get a little livelier! the right.
For his expansive and deeply emotional
score, Vangelis (literally) leaned pretty heavily
on the CS80, an expansive and deeply
expressive instrument.
Despite being nominated for a BAFTA and
Golden Globe award, Vangelis’ original
soundtrack was inaccessible for years, thanks to
a dispute that resulted in Vangelis withholding
its release. Fans settled for a recreation by
recorded session musicians, named New
American Orchestra. When the real deal finally
emerged in 1994, it was incomplete, missing
several cues that had appeared in the film.
Not that it really mattered much. By that
point, the longing, wailing tones of Vangelis’
CS80 had become indelibly etched into the
(sub)cultural consciousness, and the CS80 was Clicking Select Modulator, we’ll select Set this ADSR’s Attack to 20, Decay to
inextricably linked to the film. So much so, in
fact, that a popular hardware recreation was
released as Deckard’s Dream, named after a
5 ADSR Easy from the New Modulators.
Its Mod Amount should be 0.19. Attack and
Decay should be about 200, Sustain at
0.38, and Release nearly full. Click the
6 200, Sustain to 0.73, and Release to
232. Stick a Chorus Air component on the
end, cranking up Depth and Feedback. Put
a Reverb Component after the Chorus and
scene in the film.
Signal Flow tab and turn master Volume raise its Decay Time, wet-to-dry mix. You
down. Select the knob and use Add Mod to should have a good start, but you should
add another ADSR Easy modulator. Set consider modulating Pitch and the Low-
Mod Amount to full. Pass cutoff with real-time controls.

70 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 nineties electronic / contents <

The 1990s
A new generation was moving to
classic synths and drum machines in
the 1990s, as electronic music spread
its repetitive beats from Detroit and
Chicago to the mainstream. More
genres, more bpms and more faceless
artists than you could shake a glow
stick at, this was the decade that gave
the world a million reasons to dance…

72 Make Electronic Music Now:

House
76 Interview: Roni Size
82 Make Electronic Music Now:
Techno

80 80 86 Make Electronic Music Now:

Trance
91 Make Electronic Music Now:
Drum n bass

RECREATE FAMOUS 90S

SYNTH SOUNDS
80 Prodigy/Daft Punk
81 81 81 Underworld/Faithless

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 71

> make electronic music now / house

Originating from Chicago’s underground genres including electro house, funky house, diversity of house is huge in 2020, the different
club scene in the 1980s, house has gone on tech house and acid house, which played a part sub genres have much in common, including a
to take over the world, today being one of dance in the birth of UK rave music styles such as tempo of between 120-130bpm as well as the 4/4
music’s most enduring and biggest genres. It all hardcore and drum & bass thanks to the beats originally inspired by disco.
started when pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles, explosion of rave culture and the much-spoken- To help you get your house game on point,
Marshall Jefferson and Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk of “Summer of Love” in 1988. we’ve put together this unmissable guide on
took the template of disco music, which is Today’s house scene caters for everyone, be house production. We’ll teach you how to make
characterised by 4/4 drum machine beats it sample-based French house or synthetically- a funky house track using your DAW, our
placed over funk-laden music, and added a created tech house, with prominent producers supplied samples and the Plugin Suite that
more electronic, mechanical edge to it. As house right now including the likes of Solardo, Eats you can find at filesilo.co.uk (at Bookazines/
grew in popularity, it splintered off into sub Everything and Gorgon City. Although the Music Producer’s Guide To Electronic). Music)

>Step by step 1. Creating a house-style beat

TUTORIAL
FILES

The basis of any house track is the From the same folder, load 80s_ Add a two-bar MIDI clip to the channel,

1 driving 4/4 drum kit. Set your DAW’s

BPM to 125, then add a drum rack onto a
blank MIDI channel. Download the Make a
House track samples folder from filesilo.
2 Hat_02.wav onto another pad. This is a
splashy drum machine closed hi-hat that
works on the offbeat. A snare is next, so
grab 80s_Snare_03.wav and place it on a
3 then program in a simple drum
pattern. We’ll place the kick on each beat,
and snare on beats two and four. Drawing
in notes to trigger the hi-hat on each
co.uk; import 80s_Kick_10.wav onto a new pad. This snare sounds a bit too 80s offbeat adds momentum to the drums.
blank pad, which is a classic, New Order- right now, so use the sampler’s ADSR Reduce the hi-hat and snare velocities to
sounding kick drum. Next, we’ll add envelope to tighten the decay, sustain and around 80, so they blend into the mix
percussion into the mix. release, removing the Phil Collins tail. better. Now, let’s add a clap layer.

Head to the samples folder again and A few percussion loops glue our To finish the drums, add a breakbeat

4 load Clap.wav onto another drum pad.

Pitch the clap up by three semitones, so it
sits more effectively with the other drum
sounds. Add some notes to our MIDI
5 quantised drums together, while
adding ‘swing’. Go to the samples folder
and import PC_Tambourine_128-02.wav
onto a blank audio track. This tambourine
6 sample. Import DF_BeatD_85-04.wav
from the samples folder, then if you use
Live, set the warping mode to Repitch to
pitch up the break to the correct tempo,
sequence, so the clap is triggered on beats loop sounds great, but is too loud; reduce like using the pitch control on a turntable.
two and four, as well as on the last 16th it to -15dB. Add PC_BasketShaker_128-01. Cut out the first beat of the break, and
note of beat two. Reduce the offbeat clap wav, as it suits the feel nicely. Turn down delete the rest. Duplicate what’s left across
velocities to 40 to add subtlety. the shaker until it gels with the drums. the loop, then reduce it to -20dB.

72 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 house / make electronic music now <

RECOMMENDED LISTENING PRO TIPS

ROBIN S DAFT PUNK GROOVE IS IN THE HOUSE
SHOW ME LOVE ONE MORE TIME A big part of achieving a convincing sound when
A classic that transcended A monster hit for the Parisian producing house is making sure that your drums have
house into the commercial pair, this has that French house a nice groove, that contrasts well with other rigidly-
realms, this is extra notable for sound that combines strains of quantised sequenced parts you’ve used elsewhere in
using Korg’s since heavily-rinsed disco with a looped-over hip- the track. A great tip for achieving this is to snip a bar or
M1 organ preset. hop aesthetic to boot. two of drums from your favourite records (old or new),
before extracting the groove into a template that you
bit.ly/rs_sml bit.ly/dftpnk_omt can apply to your own record later on.

MR FINGERS CAMELPHAT & LOW-END BLEND

CAN YOU FEEL IT ELDERBROOK It’s crucially important to achieve a solid relationship
One of house’s defining tracks, COLA between the kick and bass. If the fundamental
when US producer Larry Heard One of house’s big recent hits, frequencies of the two instruments clash, this can
combined Roland drums with Cola mixes typically crisp result in ungainly distortion and masking, leading to a
warm synths to create a Camelphat production, with a lack of clarity. To avoid this, make the two instruments
masterpiece still revered today. beautiful vocal. A real earworm. sit apart from each other, naturally using clever sample
selection and writing techniques. For example, if the
basses’ root note sits where the kick does, play the root
bit.ly/mrf_cyfi bit.ly/cpe_cola notes on the offbeat.

Let’s build on our drum kit with Turn down the guitar, so it sits more A bass guitar sample adds funk to our

7 sounds that work for our intro.

Duplicate the two-bar drum loop into a
16-bar section. Head to the sample folder
and grab a funky guitar loop to get any
8 cosily in the mix. Grab a horn stab
from the sample folder next; import OT_
Stb-Horns-E3.wav onto a new audio track.
Place the stab on the second bar of the
9 track. Import DF_RayMutron_120-E.
wav onto a fresh audio track. Change the
warp mode to Complex Pro, then split the
sample into two one-bar sections. Copy
dancefloor grooving. Import DF_BPup_ section, then duplicate it three times so the second section across to the eighth
Tele_110-E.wav, and set warp mode to there’s a stab happening every four bars. and 16th bars as a fill, before duplicating
Complex Pro to reduce artefacts. Copy the Turn down the horn stab to -10dB, so the the first section to fill the gaps. Now, let’s
guitar loop across the arrangement. levels are kept in check. start building the arrangement.

Start by moving what we’ve made Mute our programmed kick, snare and Some outdoor ambience adds flavour

10 over to bar 49, so there’s space before

to start building the intro. Copy the drums
to fill the first 48 bars, then mute the kick
from the first 16-bar section. We’ll also
11 hat groove for the last 16 bars before
the drop. Copy the guitar into this section,
then delete all drum and music clips from
the last bar before the drop. Duplicate the
12 to our intro. Import GO_
BirdsVarious-21.wav onto the arrange
page, then duplicate it across the intro.
Turn the bird noise down, so it blends in.
mute the shaker for the first eight bars, to bass fill into this gap, so we can build up to Grab Crash F.wav from the sample pack,
embellish the arrangement further. Copy it using effects. Grab 70s_Synth_Rise.wav lower it to -6dB, then place it at the start of
the horn stabs across the entire intro next, from the samples folder, and place it four every 16-bar section so it defines each
to start adding a musical edge. bars before the drop. part, adding detail to the arrangement.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 73

> make electronic music now / house

> Step by step Drum mixing

2. Designing some effects
To achieve a convincing,
professional sound from your
own house production, it always
pays to spend time on getting the
drum mix sounding right, as they
are the driving force behind the
entire track. As house primarily
features a 4/4 kick drum, making
sure that the kick can be clearly
heard on every single beat is of
utmost importance. You might
find that the snare/clap you’ve
TUTORIAL used masks the kick, so to avoid
FILES this make some careful EQ
notches in your kick to give the
snare room to breathe at around
Let’s use the plugins arsenal to Pushing the Reverb Time up to around

1 create some killer effect sounds, using

the parts already in our track. Start by
copying one kick sample onto a new
channel at the start of the intro, so we can
2 15 seconds gives our kick a huge
sound that carries over the intro with
aplomb. Increase the Low Cut-Off to
100Hz, so the effect isn’t too boomy.
200-600Hz.
Another great tip is to push the
kick slightly up in volume from
where you’d like it to sit, before
create a reverb kick. Add Acon Digital’s CM Copying the kick drum to the start of the placing a compressor on your
Verb on the channel. breakdown helps to make that section drums bus. As the kick drum
more individual. typically has more weight and
energy than the other drum
sounds, this’ll drive the
compressor as it grabs hold of
the excessively loud kick, giving
a pumping effect to the drums
that often sounds amazing in this
style of music.

Let’s start looking at the guitar. Take Call up the CM Rise Of The Delays

3 the first note, and copy it onto a new

audio channel placed at the intro’s
beginning. Duplicate it three times, so that
it plays every eight bars before the
4 preset; this gives the guitar stab a cool,
analogue-sounding delay tail that’ll fill
space in the intro. To finish, automate the
Modulation 2 dial so that the delay effect
breakdown. Add Subsonic Labs’ gets gradually stronger during the intro,
WolframCM to the channel, so we can before cutting abruptly when you get to
spice the stab up. the breakdown.

> Step by step 3. Mixing your bass

TUTORIAL
FILES

Turn down the Bass channel to -3dB, Reduce the Bass amount to 5, so that Set Band 1 to make a -3dB AnaPeak cut

1 so that the bass sits back in the mix

without getting lost. Next, we’ll shape our
raw bass with an amp simulator; load
Audio Assault’s BassAmpCM on to the
2 the sub frequencies don’t dominate
the mix. We’ll reduce the wet/dry MIx to 7,
so a little of the dry signal is brought back
into the mix. Next, add DDMF’s IIEQPro CM
3 at 70Hz with a Q of 4, to carve extra
room for the kick. To finish, draw in
automation so that the EQ plugin is only
active while the kick is playing, creating
channel. Turning on Deep adds extra to the channel so we can EQ the bass. room without making the bass sound
depth to the sub frequencies. overly hollow.

74 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 house / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Completing your house mixdown

TUTORIAL
FILES

We’ll kick proceedings off by grouping Set a sidechain compressor up on the The kick sounds a bit weedy, so let’s

1 the drums, so we can process them

collectively. Add DDMF’s LP10 CM EQ to
the drums group, then set Band 1 to an
LP12 filter at 15kHz, with the Q at 0.71. This
2 shaker, using the kick as the trigger.
Reduce the Attack to 0ms, so that the
effect acts immediately. Adjust the
Threshold to -20dB to increase the
3 beef it up. Add Maximal 2 CM, and
push the Drive amount to 1; this makes the
kick pop out the mix. Add DDMF IIEQPro
CM after, and set up a -2dB high shelf cut
tidies up the high frequencies, creating sidechain ‘ducking’ effect. We’ll copy the at 1kHz to take some high mids away.
space and reducing harshness. compressor over to the tambourine also,
adding movement to the percussion.

Let’s process the electric guitar now. We’ll turn our attention to the intro The FX Synth Rise is somewhat too

4 Add Eareckon’s CM-EQUA 87 to the

channel, and set the Low Cut to 200Hz,
creating space for the kick and bass. We’ll
dial in a -3dB cut at 1kHz using the MF
5 guitar effect. Add Sonimus SatsonCM
to the channel, and set the High and Low
Pass dials to 12 o’clock, this thins out the
tone for effect. Push the Gain to +18 to add
6 loud, so turn it down to -6dB to
improve the balance of the mix. To finish,
we’ll add Acustica Audio’s PinkCM EQ to
the master out. A 1dB boost at 10kHz adds
band, freeing up space in the all-important drive, then turn the channel volume down some expensive, analogue-style sheen
mid range frequency spectrum. substantially to compensate. and detail to the final mixdown.

POWER TIP

> Keeping on point

Effects are best With house music being a broad
church when it comes to style,
As the majority of house tracks are quite there’s a lot of options in terms of
simple in their construction, you can end up the kind of sound you’re after when
with a sparse-sounding arrangement producing. If you’re looking to
unless you overfill it with more music and create modern-sounding tech
drum sounds. To add detail without house, for example, then it goes
overegging your arrangement, try using without saying that you should find
synthesised sound effects or Foley samples. the cleanest, most modern-
There’s a limitless supply of these sounding samples that you can as
your starting point. Similarly, if
sounds available online, in sample packs
you’re trying to make more classic,
and on free-sample websites. However, if old school house music then
you want to get really creative, then why turning to sounds sampled from
not try making your own? Synths such as period correct drum machines,
Native Instruments Massive feature noise synths and even OG house records
generators for making great house-style Not free but NI’s Massive will give you great noise FX can really help with crafting an
white noise bursts that can be hit with some authentic sound.
kick-driven sidechain compression, while While effects are an important part of
u-he’s Diva is a great option for creating any house production, these kind of sounds
striking one-shot effects using self work especially well with house styles that
-oscillating analogue filters with the major on sampling, such as French house or
resonance driven to maximum. funky house.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 75

> interview / roni size

RONI SIZE
In the 90s, one producer bought the New
Forms of electronic music into the
mainstream. In this classic interview, Roni
Size discusses his part in drum n bass and
the tech behind his early productions
76 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC
 roni size / interview <

“I’ve done a lot of interviews over the up in the age of the ZX Spectrum, the BBC Micro,
years and so many of them have been
about my life, my family, personal stuff…
“One of the teachers the VIC-20 and the Commodore 64. There’s a
road in Bristol, Gloucester Road, and that’s
things I don’t really like talking about in
public. What gets me excited is talking about asked me what I where all the music shops used to be. It was also
where I came across my first computer shop. A
the music. Sharing the knowledge; passing it shop… just for computers!
on to the next generation.”
Roni Size – DJ, producer, drum ’n’ bass
wanted to do when “The two shops were literally next door to
each other, which, to my young mind, made
pioneer and Mercury Prize winner, with the
groundbreaking New Forms album – is in Bristol I left school, and I perfect sense. Two different streams of
technology, linked together. In one, you had
(where else?) preparing for possible live shows drum machines and synthesisers; in the other,
and releases. But he’s always happy to take a
break for an hour or two and talk about… music.
said, ‘I’m gonna you had computers.
“Every day, after school, I used to walk down
Roni Size and Reprazent’s New Forms was the Gloucester Road, going from the music shop to
album that very much put one of the decade’s do beatboxing.’” the computer shop and back to the music shop.
major strands of electronic music on the map in Man, I was in heaven!”
the 1990s, taking it from its respected
underground state to middle-class dinner line to God, so there was no way I could talk to Were you a musical kid?
parties via that Mercury Prize. Like Massive him while I was in my mother’s womb and say, RS: “[Laughs] In my head, I was musical. I
Attack did with their own slower-paced form or ‘Please let me be born in Bristol.’ All I know is remember, one of the teachers asked me what
electronica, so Size did with drum n bass, both that the sound of this city and my family have I wanted to do when I left school, and I said, ‘I’m
unleashing new sounds from their Bristol bases made me who I am. gonna do beatboxing’. This teacher asked me if
– and indeed basses – to the world. There is, it “I was surrounded by music. We had the St I was interested in music and started talking
seems, something in the water in Bristol… Pauls Carnival (little brother to Notting Hill); we about quavers and chords, and I thought, ‘Nah,
had blues parties; we had sound systems. I had man… that’s not music’.
We guess it’s no surprise that we’re talking to brothers who were listening to reggae, hip-hop “Looking back, I wish I’d have listened and I
you in Bristol. How much has the city and soul. It was an urban cocktail before anyone wish I’d learned a bit more about music theory,
influenced you and your music? had even thought of the name ‘urban’. but to me, music meant Gloucester Road and a
Roni Size : “Unfortunately, I don’t have a direct “But what was also important was that I grew movie called Wild Style [1983]. Seeing that film

“The best songs aren’t

complicated – they’re
© Kevin Lake

straightforward and simple”

Getty

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 77

> interview / roni size

made me realise what I wanted to do with my its influence on drum n bass today, and a “Drum ’n’ bass will take all those sounds and it
life. In the movie they had turntables, but we had genre that is very much still here and now… will travel somewhere new. Occasionally, it will
tape decks and we had little computers that RS: “Here we are, over 20 years later, and drum over-complicate itself – and I think the spread of
made these beeping sounds. That was the start ’n’ bass is bigger than it’s ever been. You turn on technology has a big part to play in that – but it
of my journey. any radio or TV and you will hear drum ’n’ bass. will always find its way back to the simple path.
“I didn’t have the money to own any of this It’s part of the fabric of everyday life. The best songs aren’t complicated; they’re
shit myself, so I started hanging around with “One of the problems was that DnB started to straightforward and simple.”
kids who could afford a tape deck, an Alesis splinter into so many different genres that
drum machine or a Commodore 64. After a people found it hard to keep up; it sort of lost its Taking the sound out live in those early days
while, I realised I was always the first one to turn identity. But that’s how music works. It comes, it played an important part in spreading its
up at that kid’s house and the last one to leave. goes, it grows, it brings in a new generation of success. How did that come about?
One by one, all the other kids got bored and fans… but as long as it’s got its own unique RS: “The reason we took it live is because we
went off to play football or ride their bikes, but sound and style, it will always be there. could. After we got signed to Talkin’ Loud, we
I was fascinated by music technology. “Where will it go from here? That’s an easy had the cash and clout of a major record
“Can I make one final point about this era? question to answer. You’ve got kids making company behind us. We had the opportunity to
Music technology, computer music, urban music today who were still in short trousers turn Reprazent into a proper live band that
music – call it what you want – hadn’t been done when New Forms came out. I hope that the likes stood on stage and played their instruments.
in the UK before. The horizon was as wide as you of us and Goldie and Krust and all those guys That excited me because… well, everybody
wanted it to be; the future was yours to mould in have been a small part of their musical wants to be in a band.
whatever way you wanted. It felt like anything education, but those kids have also grown up “Sure, we could have gone halfway. We could
was possible.” surrounded by British urban music. Grime, have had some backing singers, maybe a bass
garage, dubstep… that is our sound. player and some keyboards, but we wanted the
When did you finally get hold of your first bits
of music making kit?
RS: “My brother jumped in way before me. He
got an Atari, an S950, a Studiomaster desk… “The horizon was as wide
as you wanted it to be; the
these days it seems very basic, but to us, it was
future was yours to mould in
an Aladdin’s cave of sound. Equipment was so whatever way you wanted”
expensive and so rare that you felt like a king if
you owned just one synthesiser. And that
willingness to work with whatever was at hand
was a great lesson because it made you hungry
and it stretched your imagination. If I looked
through my mum’s record collection and found

“You turn on any

radio or TV and
you will hear
drum ’n’ bass”
some long-forgotten soul album, I’d listen to it
and pull out ten different samples that I could
put to good use.
“I think my first setup was an Atari, Notator, a
707 drum machine and a Kawai K1 module.
Simple, but effective. And I was so naïve that I
just thought I was going to make the greatest
records the world had ever heard.
“My sound was… well, I guess you’d call it
digital reggae. I was listening to hip-hop and
reggae and, like so many British kids at the time,
I was trying to make it mine. I didn’t want it to be
from another country; I wanted it to be from the
UK, from Bristol.
“I would argue that it was the search for our
own sound that eventually led the UK to jungle.
The speeded-up breaks gave it a sort of punky
attitude, you had samples from hip-hop, the
sub-bass from reggae and a dash of rude boy.
When I found that, I felt like I was finally coming
home. I had my girl, a bit of weed and, at last,
I had my music.”
© Dan Medhurst

You’ve told the story of the first Reprazent

album many times, but there’s no doubting

78 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 roni size / interview <

“It was a seriously

steep learning
curve for me”

Getty
real deal. Maybe in those situations, ignorance is Someone showed me how it worked on Pro
bliss. We had no idea how difficult it was going Tools and, whoa, it took seconds. I could see a Kit list
to be to find the right combination of musicians, million doors opening up in front of me.
how much it would cost or even if it would work. “Having said that, it was a seriously steep Avid Pro Tools 11 and 12
But we’d seen The Prodigy do it live and we just learning curve for me. Up until then, we’d used
jumped right in. fairly simple desks. If you wanted more bass, Alesis Andromeda A6
Native Instruments
“Turning Reprazent into a live experience you turned it up; if you wanted less bass, you Komplete Kontrol
certainly helped spread the word about the turned it down. I looked at the SSL and I was
album. And in turn, the album won the Mercury bombarded with all these numbers. What does Native Instruments Massive
Prize, which was the best thing that could ever 40 mean? If I turn it to 40, what happens? What Xfer Records Serum
have happened to us or to drum ’n’ bass. People does 2K mean? What’s a K? Rob Papen synths
started to take it seriously.” “The next ten years were my education. I’m Togu Audio Line TAL-Sampler
not saying I’m ‘that guy’; I’m not one of those Native Instruments Kontakt
Did that success put you and the band under producers who can answer every technical
some pressure? question that’s thrown at him, but I know my iZotope Ozone 7
RS: “Pressure? Are you kidding? Pressure is way around the studio. I can get the job done. I FabFilter Pro-Q 2
living in a one-bedroom flat in St Pauls with no understand that, alongside the ‘art’ of making Universal Audio UAD plugins
job, no money, no food to feed your kids, no music, there’s a ‘science’, too.” – Sonnox, Fairchild 670,
Brainworx bx_bundle
prospects and no future. That’s pressure!
Winning music awards isn’t pressure. It’s fun We know you’re still with Pro Tools, but have
– it’s what a band is supposed to do if it’s doing you tried Ableton, Logic etc?
its job properly.” RS: “Tried them all and could probably turn out a
track on all of them. Once you’ve got your quick
Although you started out with hardware and keys in place, a good producer ought to be able
Atari, you were something of an early convert to work on whatever he’s presented with.
to the computer for music making. Otherwise, you get stuck with that old
RS: “Yeah, it must have been ’98 or ’99 – not long argument: I can’t do this production unless I’ve HEAR MORE
after we released New Forms. We were working got this synth and this compressor and this
in a studio somewhere and they had this huge platform and so on. Music is not – and never will
SSL desk with a Pro Tools rig. I just looked at it be – about the equipment. If you’ve got
and thought, ‘That is the biggest, most powerful something that makes a noise, you should be
sampler I have ever seen.’ able to make music. I remember when we first
“We were quids-in at the time, and a lot of the got Pro Tools, people kept saying, ‘Man, you’re
manufacturers were keen to offer us knock- gonna have problems getting all the third-party
down prices, so we suddenly found ourselves VSTs to work with that.’ But Pro Tools had more New Forms
bit.ly/RSnewforms
with a mammoth SSL desk and Pro Tools. We than enough onboard stuff to keep us busy.
Formulate
didn’t touch the MIDI side of things; all we were “I’ll admit that, yes, these days, the computer bit.ly/RSformulate
interested in was audio. Being able to get all our is full to the brim with plugins, VSTs, gadgets
samples and our hardware onto that computer. and crazy gear. But I could still give you a killer
“Anyone who can remember the sampler tune, even if I was back working with the Kawai soundcloud.com/ronisize
days will tell you how long it took to render a bit and the 707. Don’t get into a situation where all
your hopes and dreams are relying on what twitter.com/ronisizebristol
of audio back then. You could set it going, make
a cup of tea, have a smoke, make a couple of equipment you’ve got. Those hopes and dreams facebook.com/ronisize
phone calls and it still wouldn’t be finished. should only be relying on one thing: you!”

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 79

> sound design / recreate famous 90s synth sounds

Voodoo People is a classic slice of 90s rave,

constructed by Liam Howlett mostly from samples,
including a guitar based on the riff from Very Ape by
Nirvana. However, we’re more interested in the iconic,
piercing acid inspired lead synth.
This lead sound has a strong TB-303 flavour, but was
actually taken from Roland’s JD-800 keyboard synth,
which featured on a number of classic Prodigy tracks
from the era including Poison and Their Law.
Voodoo People To recreate the sound, we’ll be using Dmitry Sches’
fantastic ThornCM, which is ideal for creating the kind of
The Prodigy distorted, resonant tone we’re after, as well as packing
Year: 1994 some effects heat that’ll help to embellish the sound for

Getty
a more convincing overall finish.
Original Synth:
Roland JD-800
Plugin used:
ThornCM > Step by step 303 lead

TUTORIAL
FILES

Dial in some distortion. Open Use the filter to shape our Set Env 1’s Attack and Sustain

1 the Effects tab in ThornCM,

and enable the Distortion,
with the Acid Drive preset loaded. This’ll
2 sound’s tone. Select the Fat
LP24 filter, then push the
Drive up to 100% for aggression. Pull the
3 to 0%, then push up Decay to
70% to open the filter up. We’ll
reduce the Release to 10% to give a
help give the texture we need. Then, set Cutoff down to 200Hz, then increase the tighter sound, before increasing the
Osc 1 to a sawtooth wave, with the Sub Res to 70%. Now, we’ll use Env 1 to filter’s Keytrack to 60%, so that the filter
Amount at around 50%, for the modulate the filter, so it opens out. Push changes as the riff plays up and down.
harmonic richness and depth. the Mod Amount to 40% as a start. ThornCM’s plate Reverb adds space.

Originally released in 1995 as a double A side single the iconic Spike Jones video for this track entitled Big
with Rolling and Scratching on the flip, Da Funk City Nights, which followed the travails of a dog named
sold a mere 2,000 copies until it was re-released on Charles as he navigated NYC with a broken leg, and
Daft Punk’s seminal 1997 album Homework. While the only a set of crutches and a boombox for company.
track has a very house-flavoured sound, the inspiration (Hey, we remember it.)
actually came from the (now ex) Daft Punk boys We can make our own take on this sound, using the
spending late nights listening to G Funk hip-hop tunes. legendary DuneCM alongside a splash of distortion
If you ever watched MTV 2, you might remember from the equally awesome WaveShaperCM.

Da Funk
Daft Punk > Step by step Growling synth riff
Year: 1995
Original Synth:
Roland SH-101
Plugins used:
DuneCM & TUTORIAL
FILES
WaveShaperCM

Set the Osc Mix to 50%, to Reducing the Filter Cutoff to Increasing the Amp Env’s

1 hear Oscs 1 and 2 equally.

Pitch Osc 1 down an octave
for thickness, then reduce DuneCM’s
2 70%, and pushing the Res up
to 40% will give a grungy
sound. Increase Filter Envelope to 20%,
3 Attack to around 50% will
give the sound a less machine
gun, attack-heavy feel. To finish, add a
Output Volume to 18%. Pushing the FM 2 then push the env’s Attack and Decay up splash of distortion. Call up Cableguys
to 20% gives the sound a more detuned, to 50%. Reducing the Sustain to 0%, with WaveShaperCM, with the Bottom Noise
grungy feel. Set Filter type to HP12/LP12 a short 10% Release will make the filter preset loaded. Reduce the mix to 20%
Split to shape the sound further. open and close like the original. for the thick, grungy sound we want.

80 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 recreate famous 90s synth sounds / sound design <

Born Slippy (Nuxx Mix) > Step by step Intro stab

Underworld
Year: 1995
Original Synth: Possibly
Waldorf Microwave
Plugins used: ThornCM, HY-FX CM
TUTORIAL
FILES
Originally a B-side to a markedly different
instrumental track of the same name, Top UK
dance act Underworld’s Born Slippy (NUXX Mix) Start by setting both Osc 1 Use ThornCM’s filter to make
shot to prominence in 1995 as part of the
soundtrack for cult British film Trainspotting, and
1 and 2 to a sawtooth wave, for
plenty of harmonics. Next, set
Osc 2’s Detuning to 30 to make the
2 the sound more recognisable.
Select the CleanLP filter, and
set the Cutoff and Res to their lowest.
sound richer still. Mix in some white Push the Env 1 Amount to 100%, so that
helped the band become one of the biggest acts of noise; turn on the Noise Generator, and the filter’s modulated entirely by the
that decade. adjust the Volume to 50% so the noise envelope. Increase the filter’s Drive to
doesn’t dominate the sound entirely. 9dB to add extra gain.
Combining lush pads, stomping techno-inspired
909 drums and a distorted, almost nonsensical
one-take vocal by Underworld vocalist Karl Hyde
(struggling with alcoholism at the time), Born Slippy
was called the “heartbeat” of Trainspotting by
director Danny Boyle and is undoubtedly one of
the most iconic dance records of the 90s.
While there’s no clear info about which synth
Use the amp and filter A big part of the track is the
made the trademark delay-soaked main riff, the
Waldorf Microwave resident in Underworld’s studio 3 envelopes to tighten
dynamics, while opening and
closing the filter. Set both envs to fast
4 delay between each note, so
enable ThornCM’s Delay
module, then set the Delay Time for both
seems a likely culprit. Let’s make our own version Attack, with Decay at 50% and Sustain at left and right to 1/8th dotted notes.
40%. Set the Amp Env’s Release to 50%, Pushing the Mix up to 50% gives us what
using ThornCM, plus processing from other plugins with the Filter Env’s at 60%, for a we want. Then add HY-FX CM onto the
available to you for free at filesilo.co.uk. resonant tail as the filter is modulated. synth channel, and select Chorus.

First released in 1995, Insomnia became an As with many dance tracks in this style, Insomnia
anthem for a generation of late night clubbers made heavy use of the contemporary synths of the
who, as with the song’s lyrics, just could get no sleep. time. Exact details of which synth was used to make
The track, produced by Rollo – who would later the iconic plucked riff aren’t available, but it’s likely that
produce sister Dido’s mega hit albums – and Sister the Roland JP-8000 was used – indeed, many
Bliss, with vocals from rapper Maxi Jazz, hit No 3 in the subsequent digital synths featured an Insomnia preset.
UK charts in 1996, and very much became one of the For our spin on this plucked riff, we’ll call on ThornCM
breakout dance tunes of the decade. to do the goods. Let’s get riffing….

Insomnia
Faithless > Step by step Plucked off
Year: 1995
Original Synth:
Possibly Roland
JP-8000
Plugin used: TUTORIAL
FILES
Thorn CM

Turn on Osc 2, then set both Using an env to modulate the Increasing the Amp Env

1 oscs to a sawtooth. We’ll set

Osc 2’s Detuning to 40 to add
thickness to the sound, then turn up Osc
2 filter will give our sound the
shape it needs. Set the filter to
Dirty LP, with the Cutoff and Res at their
3 Decay to 65%, with Sustain
down to 20% and Release at
0%, gives our sound a staccato feel,
1’s Sub Osc to 50% to add extra depth. lowest. Push the Env 1 dial to 100%, so while 4dB of Drive to the filter increases
Next, turn on the Noise Generator, and that the env controls the Filter Cutoff. the volume, while beefing the tone. Turn
reduce Volume to around 40% to mix We’ll reduce the Env 1 Attack, Sustain on ThornCM’s delay and reverb effects,
some crunchy noise into our sound. and Release to 0, with the Decay at 40%. setting the Mix levels to 10%.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 81

> make electronic music now / techno

Originating from the melding of synth-driven by now-revered 1980s Roland kit like the TB-303 genre traditionally has a crunchy feel that’s
pop music from the likes of Giorgio Moroder bassline and TR-808/909 drum machines, as great fun to recreate in 2021. While techno
and Kraftwerk alongside American music styles well as a deliberately electronic, dystopian seems very simple in construction, it can be
like house, funk and soul, techno has sound, techno has influenced many other music harder to make than you think. However, we
transcended its Detroit roots to become one of styles to varying degrees, including the UK rave have a superb guide on how to make your own
the world’s most enduring and leading dance scene which took inspiration (as well as a stab or warehouse-shaking techno track using just your
music styles, with artists such as Carl Cox, Adam two!) from the Belgian techno records that were DAW, samples and the Plugin Suite that you
Beyer and Jeff Mills in constant demand for both being made during the late 1980s and early 90s. can find over at filesilo.co.uk (Bookazines/Music
their productions and live sets. As early techno tracks were laid down using Producer’s Guide To Electronic). There are also
Characterised by a tempo of between 120- rudimentary equipment like inexpensive mixing videos, tutorial files and audio examples to help
150bpm, a palette of sounds heavily influenced consoles and four-track tape recorders, the you follow along with ease.

>Step by step 1. Techno beatmaking

TUTORIAL
FILES

We’ll start by building a drum kit; set Add Cableguys’ WaveShaperCM to a We’ll turn the reverb Send down to

1 your DAW BPM to 128. From filesilo.

co.uk, get the techno samples/MIDI files
folder and load Kick_15.wav into a blank
drum rack. This is a synthetic-sounding
2 fresh return track. Set a -6dB send
from the kick drum to the return, then
select the 2-BIt preset in WaveShaper.
Hear the kick crunching, in a gabba-esque
3 -9dB, so it blends into the mix. Now,
let’s add perc into the mix, courtesy of
Audiorealism ADM CM’s great emulated
TR-606 drum kit. Load ADM CM to a fresh
kick that works perfectly in a techno track. tone. Load Acon Digital’s CM Verb after channel, then switch Sync mode to Host,
Draw MIDI notes to trigger the kick on our distortion. Use the Medium Chamber so ADM CM’s playback is triggered by our
each beat. Next, we make a rumbling, preset, then turn off the dry signal to leave DAW. Let’s use the onboard sequencer to
warehouse techno reverb from our kick. just reverb-soaked distortion. create an open hi-hat pattern.

Hit the Pattern Write/Clear button, and Let’s create a longer arrangement. Time to add another sample for a

4 let’s program our own pattern. Select

the OH (open hat) instrument, then dial in
an open hi-hat on each offbeat. Add a new
MIDI clip to the channel, then draw in a
5 Duplicate the drums over 16 bars, so
we can get non-perc elements in. From the
samples folder, import Delayed Radio
Loop 02.wav onto a fresh audio track; this
6 more dystopian sound. Add TV_
Talking_(100bpm).wav at the end of each
eight bar section. Reduce the channel to
-6dB to retain balance, then load Subsonic
one-bar note to trigger our pattern. We’ll is a vocal snip that’s very techno. Reduce Labs’ Wolfram CM. We’ll fire up the CM
reduce the open hat’s Decay to 100ms, for the channel’s volume to -15dB, then Beer In My Farfisa preset, adding a
a tighter initial sound that we can open duplicate the audio across the entire sustained delay tail to our static sample
out with automation later on. 16-bar section. and making it feel part of the track.

82 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 techno / make electronic music now <

RECOMMENDED LISTENING PRO TIPS

PHUTURE JOEY BELTRAM SIDECHAIN GAIN
ACID TRACKS ENERGY FLASH A superb way of adding unique flavour to your techno
One of techno’s blueprint tracks, In a genre driven by productions is to use a kick-triggered sidechain
this has the signature sounds of technological development, this compressor on a constant field recording of ambience,
modern acid techno, and 1990 cut still sounds fresh in but reverse the compressor’s curve so that the
wouldn’t sound out of place as a 2020. One of many cult tunes ambience pumps along with the kick, rather than
fresh vinyl release today. from R&S Records. around it. Either simply reverse your kick drum on a
silent trigger channel, or use an infinitely configurable
bit.ly/ph_at bit.ly/jb_ef modulation plugin such as Xfer Records’ LFOTool.

JEFF MILLS APHEX TWIN ONE STEP BEYOND

THE BELLS DIDGERIDOO If you’re making a stereotypical techno beat using
All the ingredients of a techno Aphex Twin’s trademark running, TR-909 samples, try triggering them using a MIDI step
classic, including the crunchy breakbeat-like drums, alongside a sequencer, instead of placing them directly on the
drums Jeff Mills is known for, manipulated didgeridoo sample arrange page. As this was how techno was produced
alongside the Roland hi-hats that that’s equal parts Australian originally, you’ll achieve a more authentic sound,
adorn most techno tunes. outback and dystopian techno. particularly if you use your sequencer’s on-board
swing control to add groove. HY-Plugins do a great
MIDI step sequencer called HY-MPS2 that comes in
bit.ly/jm_tb bit.ly/at_ddgrd either free, or paid-for flavours.

Another element fleshes things out. Unlike other styles of music that are We’ll mute the vocal snip for the

7 Grab DX_Bells_05(100bpm).wav from

the sample folder, and place it on a new
audio channel. Shorten the clip to one bar,
then apply an aggressive fade out. Copy
8 more focused on building to a drop,
techno is arranged in a more progressive
manner, with emphasis placed on making
the sounds in the arrangement evolve.
9 second 16 bars, with the bells muted
for 32 bars. Duplicate the final 16-bar
section twice, for use as the basis for the
drop. Let’s strip back the previous section
the audio snip, so it plays every four bars. Let’s build our arrangement. Duplicate the now. Mute all the bells except the first one,
Reduce the channel to -7dB, so our mix parts we’ve added already to create a then consolidate the vocal snips into one.
balance is preserved. Next, we start 64-bar section in total. Mute the open hat, Apply a fade to the vocal, so it disappears
building our full arrangement. bells and vocal snip for the first 16 bars. over 16 bars.

Mute the kick and open hat for the last Make the arrangement evolve by Automate the kick’s reverb return

10 two bars before the drop, so the sound

effect we added earlier is emphasised. We
now use Vengeance’s VPS Philta CM to
filter the kick. Add it to the channel, then
11 automating the decay of our open hat.
Draw in automation, so the hat becomes
more intense as the intro develops, before
snapping back to a tight sound on the
12 volume leading to the drop, so it
increases to 0dB before snapping back to
its usual -9dB after; this makes the reverb
swell into a cool effect. To finish, add a
draw in automation of the high-pass filter drop. We’ll ramp it up for the second 16 crash cymbal to the start of each 16-bar
so the kick sounds increasingly hollow bars of drop, before muting the hat for the section to mark them out. Head for the
during this section. Next, mute the open last two bars. Automating the kick’s filter sample folder, and grab 80s_Cymbal_04.
hat from the first eight bars of the drop. for the last two bars creates a fill. wav. Reduce the channel to -18dB.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 83

> make electronic music now / techno

> Step by step Rumbling reverb

2. Creating a techno-style ‘stab’ Reverb is an essential part of
the techno recipe, and can
really set your track apart from
others in the genre. Often used
to create a sense of space in a
more minimal production, or to
add that trademark rumbling
bass tone that fills out the low
frequencies around the kick,
well used reverb simply sounds
great in a typical, echoey
warehouse techno rave.
TUTORIAL
A great tip when using
FILES reverb in your own production
is to be very aware of mono
compatibility. Generally, reverb
Let’s create a cool techno stab using We’ll use Oscillator 2 to modulate the

1 2
is used to mimic the acoustic
Dmitry Sches’ superb ThornCM. Load frequency of Oscillator 1. Turn on
properties of a space, and
it on a fresh channel, then import Stab.mid Oscillator 2, and turn the Volume to 0%.
(from the techno samples/MIDI files folder Set Oscillator 1’s FX type to FM, and push phase cancels to a degree
at filesilo.co.uk) to trigger the synth. Open the amount to 50%; you’ll hear the stab’s when collapsed into mono.
ThornCM, and set Oscillator 1 to a square tone change. Tune Oscillator 1 down by an Meanwhile, techno is primarily
wave; this has lots of harmonics and is an octave to add character. intended to be heard in a club
ideal starting point for a techno stab. setting, on some kind of
chunky mono PA system.
These two conflicting things
can be hard to balance well, so
try using mono reverb for at
least some parts if you want the
reverb sound to translate
faithfully to the rave,
particularly if it’s a rumbling
reverb applied to a kick drum.

Modulating the filter shapes our Let’s shape the sound more with the

3 sound. Set the Filter Mode to Dirty LP,

with the Env 1 dial at -100%, so that
Envelope 1 controls the filter cutoff. Adjust
Envelope 1’s Attack to 40%, with the other
4 Harmonic Filter. Choose the Bass
Contour 1 preset, and dial the Shape in at
60%; you’ll hear the filter remove a little
weight from our stab. To finish, push the
three sliders all at 50%; you’ll hear the stab Filter Drive to 3dB or so; a little drive adds
become less open-sounding. volume and thickness.

> Step by step 3. Adding effects

TUTORIAL
FILES

We make our techno track sound a The delay tail gets overly loud during The reverb preset that we’ve selected

1 little bit more complex by adding in

some effects processing. Start by loading
PSP’s cmDelay onto the Bells channel.
Turn the Sync on, and set the Delay time to
2 the break, so automate cmDelay’s Wet
level so it decreases by around 6dB as the
breakdown unfolds. Let’s now turn our
attention to the crash cymbal, which ends
3 has a long tail, and disguises the short
crash brilliantly. However, it sounds a little
dull in the mix, so open the IR EQ tab, turn
on Band 4 and set it to a High Shelf.
¼ notes. Automate the Feedback abruptly right now. Add Liquidsonics’ Boosting the band to 3dB adds high
aggressively from bar 49 until 63, so that ReverberateCM onto the channel, and frequency sparkle.
the bells swell in volume. pick the Delicate Hall preset.

84 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 techno / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Mixing your techno masterpiece

TUTORIAL
FILES

First, we’ll use your DAW’s sidechain The bells stick out of the mix slightly, We’ll carve out some breathing space

1 compressor to duck the kick reverb

when the dry kick hits, increasing low
frequency clarity. Add the compressor,
setting the kick as the sidechain input.
2 so turn them down to -3dB. We’ll EQ
them too, so they gel with the mix nicely.
Add Eareckon’s CM-EQUA 87 to the
channel, switching the Cut filter to Hi Cut.
3 in the low mid frequencies now. Set
the LF band to a shelf, with the Frequency
at 450Hz. Dialling in a -6dB cut gives
added clarity to the low mid area, without
Decrease the Attack to its fastest setting, Set the frequency to 5.5kHz, so the highs bluntly removing the bell sound’s richness
and adjust the Threshold until you hear are tamed. like a harsh filter can.
the ducking effect kick in.

Now, we’ll add crunch to the mix for a Set up some -18dB sends from the kick, Add Surreal Machines’ Microfuse onto

4 more authentically techno sound.

Start by placing Rob Papen’s beastly RP
Distort CM on a return track. Select the
909 Mackie Ch Dist preset; this emulates
5 crash and open hat to our distortion
return. The distorted effect adds bite,
drive and character, but overpowers the
mix, so turn the distortion return channel
6 the channel, and select the Hybrid
Bouncing Hall preset. This adds a spacious
feel to the stab. Reducing the Size to 20%
makes the effect gel with the track better.
the crunch of a classic Mackie mixing down to -24dB. Next, we’ll work on the To finish, reduce the Regen to 30% so the
board like those used back in the day. synth stab we created earlier. effect doesn’t overly feed back on itself.

POWER TIP

> Bassy toms

Automation nation Roland drum machine sounds from
the likes of the TR-808 and 909 are
The very best way to turn your own Originally, automation of mix a staple in most house and techno
arrangements from a generic soup of parameters and effects was done live by the tracks, as the original hardware is
samples and synths into something with mix engineer as the song’s final mix was from the same era. So, a great tip if
life, character and flair is to use automation dubbed to master tape, adding a level of you’re looking to create a cool bass
to evolve the sound of your track as it pressure to get it right the first time. Now, for your techno track that’s slightly
progresses. Automation is used in pretty we can program automation into our DAW, different to others, is to grab an
much every professional music production allowing us the time and space to get it 808 or 909 tom, and pitch it down
you hear in numerous ways, ranging from sounding the way we want. If you’ve been to the bass register using a sampler.
As the toms are synthesised using
the age old trick of boosting the master looking to get a more human feel from your
similar circuitry to a kick drum, they
fader slightly for a song’s final chorus, all automation, then why not think about carry plenty of weight when
the way through to the evolving delays and recording it in using a suitably equipped pitched down.
reverb used in dub mixing. MIDI controller?

Using a
controller like
the Akai LPD8
can help add a
human touch

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 85

> make electronic music now / trance

86 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

trance / make electronic music now <

Come with us to a
hypnotic, trippy
dimension and
produce a track in
one of the 90s’
best genres…
Despite having been around for at least
three decades, trance remains a bafflingly
divisive and controversial genre. To some, it’s
a hypnotic, euphoric style of music with deep,
spiritual roots. To others, it’s a naff, cliché-
ridden sound which repeats the same tired
old formulas ad nauseam (or, as Dave Clarke
memorably put it, “watered-down techno”).
We’re nothing if not open-minded. While
there’s no doubt that the distinctive stylistic
tropes of trance make it easy for producers to
fall into the trap of cliché, it can be joyously
vibrant and exciting when done well.
Since emerging as a distinct genre in the
early 90s, trance has waxed and waned in
popularity, spawned countless subgenres –
which we’ll get into – and provoked some strong
reactions of love and hate.
To the hardcore few, trance never went away,
but in the last few years, the style has gone
through something of a critical reappraisal, with
a new wave of producers introducing trance
elements to their sound and exploring the
genre’s potential.
How are we defining it? As a genre it’s quite
varied, but easily spotted by its key
characteristics. Broadly speaking, it’s a four-to-
the-floor offshoot of techno, typically between
130 and 150bpm. More importantly, though,
there’s almost always a certain epic quality to
the sound, based around repetitive melodies,
minor-key chord progressions, dramatic build-
ups and breakdowns.
We’ll show you where it came from, how it’s
done and how you can go full-on trance – or just
introduce a few subtle elements to include in
your own productions and genres.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 87

> make electronic music now / trance

10 Trance mainstays
There are a range of elements that might be best
described as ‘trance tropes’. These are not essential to
all trance tracks, but have come to be known as
signifiers of the genre. Here are the main ones…

01
SUPERSAW SYNTHS better than anyone. Some subgenres emphasise
At this point, the supersaw synth is the drop, where the reintroduction of a heavy
probably the single most kick drum and bassline is the focal point, but in
recognisable sound of trance, other styles it’s almost the exact opposite, with
dominating everything from psytrance to EDM. the hands-in-the-air breakdown being the key
The Roland JP-8000’s supersaw sound is the moment, and the reintroduction of other
granddaddy of them all, essentially an attempt elements being downplayed by comparison.
to replicate the fuzzy, thick sound of seven Ebb and flow, tension and release: trance
sawtooth oscillators detuned against each celebrates the contrast.
other. The sound quickly became a staple of

03
dance music generally, but trance producers u-he’s Diva does the supersaw better than most
PADS AND CHORDS
adopted it as a mainstay, using it for pads, leads Minor key progressions and synth
and even bass. The original point of the pads are the bedrock of trance’s
supersaw was to achieve something that would Diva, courtesy of the digital oscillator, modelled epic sound. Although plenty of
be difficult on a true analogue synth (you’d need on the original Roland sound. trance tracks could be described as two-chord
dozens of oscillators to play a truly analogue wonders, there’s also room to get a lot more

02
supersaw pad). Nowadays, in software, that’s BUILD-UP/ complex than you typically might in house or
not a problem; most synths can do multi- BREAKDOWN techno, with constantly changing chords,
oscillator supersaw-style sounds, whether via a Speaking of the arrangement, contrasting verse and chorus sections. But you
dedicated supersaw oscillator or an oscillator trance is all about the slow build shouldn’t be scared to experiment, even if
detune/unison option. The closest thing to the and sudden breakdown. It’s a common formula you’re not extremely clued up on music theory.
90s virtual analogue original comes in u-he’s across plenty of other genres, but trance does it Anything goes.

TRANCE DRUM

04 RUDIMENTS
The 909 is a staple of trance,
thanks to the genre’s late 80s/early 90s
roots. A simple four-to-the-floor kick and
offbeat hats will get you started, but long
snare rolls are also common. 16th- or 32nd-
note rolls are good but will sound robotic
without some variation in velocity and/or
pitch, so try building up or emphasising
beats to avoid a machine gun effect. Once
you’ve cracked the technique with a 909
snare, experiment with layered acoustic hits,
other drum machines and even white noise.
88 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC
 trance / make electronic music now <

05
ARPS
One of the best ways to add
interest and movement to those
epic chord progressions is by
playing them using arpeggios. These can be
used to provide relief from the thicker, slower
pads or sit on top of them, filling in other areas
of the frequency range. Of course, lots of soft
and hard synths have built-in arpeggiators, but
you can use MIDI effects in most DAWs to create
arpeggios without having to play or program
them manually.

06
OFFBEAT BASS
With the relentless four-to-the-
floor kick drum pounding away
throughout most trance tracks,
it’s easy for the bottom end of the mix to get
overloaded when bass is added. One of the
common solutions in trance is to play the bass
notes in the offbeats, ie every ‘and’ of a “one-
and-two-and-three-and-four-and...” count, with
the kicks sitting on the ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’, ‘four’.
By placing the bass notes in between the kicks
like this, they naturally find their own space in
the mix without having to EQ heavily or use
sidechain compression to duck the bass.

09
GATED SOUNDS

07
TRIPLET BASS
A staple of psytrance is the triplet
bass, named after the simple
Since the early days of trance, one of the
musical theory that defines its
rhythm: three notes (triplets) per beat (or
most common tricks to liven up pads, leads
sometimes two beats). It sounds more
confusing on paper than it does to the ear; the
and samples has been to feed them through a tempo-
interaction of the straight 4/4 kick drums and synced gate. There are quite a few different ways to
off-kilter bass notes provides an almost woozy,
lilting feel to the rhythm, almost as if the track is achieve the effect. Some synth instruments contain a
slow and fast at the same time, regardless of
tempo. There are people who think the trick has built-in gate, but you can apply similar principles to any
become a bit tired and overdone, but it’s so
effective that it doesn’t seem to be dying out other sound. The manual approach is to set up an aux
just yet.
with a noise gate on it, then use a muted channel as a

08
DELAYS
The use of effects varies from trigger to feed into the gate’s sidechain. It’s much easier
one trance subgenre to another,
with some going in for big and
to use an effect sequencer such as Sugar Bytes
bold reverb (even on kick drums), weirdo filters
and modulation. What you’ll tend to find, even in
Effectrix, which allows you to program interesting
the sparser styles, is liberal use of delays on
simple melodies and arps in particular, adding
tempo-synced patterns with gates (and much more).
complexity and rhythmic interest to otherwise
quite basic elements. Spot effects on specific
Alternatively, for a basic but extremely quick version of
sounds can also be hugely effective, whether to the sound, you can use a simple tremolo plugin or
emphasise changes in the arrangement or
smooth transitions between one section and something like Cableguys’ VolumeShaper.
the next. We prefer delays with a bit of character
to the sound, like Valhalla DSP’s ValhallaDelay.

10
MIXDOWN down to an improvement in production
Early trance was largely a rough- techniques. More commercial trance styles
and-ready affair, following the generally follow the modern trends for
house and techno of the era with frequency separation and heavy compression,
ramshackle arrangements and slightly clunky but there’s still a lot to be said for a slightly more
mixing by modern standards. Over the years, retro, lo-fi approach if that’s what you prefer.
though, things have generally got much cleaner, The sound of the mix can define the track, so
louder and more polished thanks, in part, to the don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the
Try pitchshifting fed back into itself for wild vocal FX technology used, but perhaps more importantly approach that works.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 89

> make electronic music now / trance

Classic trance tracks

From the earliest trance through to modern takes on the sound,
we trace the evolution of the genre through ten classic tracks
ATB - 9PM (TILL I repetition and structural tricks through to
COME), 1999 specific sounds.
Late 90s commercial trance
is where things start to get a LORENZO SENNI -
bit dubious. The sound was THE SHAPE OF
huge across Europe for a few TRANCE TO COME,
years, but things soon turned stale. To some, 2017
the slightly childish melodic hooks and vocal
Senni’s ‘deconstructed’
samples of tracks like 9PM (Till I Come) are the
trance experiments explore
turning point. It has a certain charm, but
the extreme, minimalist limits of trance’s
there’s no doubt things were starting to get
potential. On The Shape Of Trance To Come he
tired around this era.
fuses hardcore punk attitudes with classic
JP-8000 supersaw synths. One of the artier
SASHA - XPANDER, takes on trance, no doubt, but deeply engaging
1999 and uniquely comforting in its own way.
The perfect antidote to
cheesy commercial trance BICEP - GLUE, 2017
came in the form of Xpander,
The duo are dance music
THE AGE OF LOVE - which signalled something
scholars, open to a bit of
of a dividing line between progressive trance
THE AGE OF LOVE (JAM and the progressive house sound with which
everything. On tracks like
Glue and Orca, they flirt
& SPOON MIX), 1990 Sasha became associated with. Eleven minutes
heavily with trance, bringing
of rolling, wistful magic.
A strong contender for the title of the classic sounds to new generations. With
first proper trance track. A lot of the the resurgence of more mainstream interest in
INFECTED trance, house and techno audiences are once
key elements here had been used again receptive to what might have been
before, but Jam & Spoon’s remix MUSHROOM - BUST
A MOVE, 2000 written off as cheesy a few years ago.
combined many of the components Weird and wonderful stuff
which we now take to be staples of from the Israeli trance
trance: lush pads, relentless veterans. Acoustic
melodies, gating effects, pounding percussion and guitars meld with synths and
slamming kicks, proving that trance doesn’t
kick drums… an instant classic. just need to be about the obvious sounds. If
anything, the genre is always at its best when
breaking away from the rules and conventions.
PAUL VAN DYK -
FOR AN ANGEL, 1994
Undoubtedly a high point of NATHAN FAKE - THE
trance’s mid-90s heyday, SKY WAS PINK
from one of the masters of (JAMES HOLDEN
the genre. Simplistic piano REMIX), 2004
riffs and pulsing synths are underscored by On a similar note, Fake and
propulsive bass and drums, somehow ending Holden’s left-field trance
up simultaneously blissed-out and energising. classic showed there was still huge creative
potential in a genre that some had already
written off. Oddball melodies. Sidechained
JOSH WINK - noise. Wonky beats. Glorious.
HIGHER STATE OF MOBY - GO (WOODTICK
CONSCIOUSNESS,
1995 MAGNETIC MAN - I MIX), 1991
Is this techno or is this NEED AIR, 2010 You can argue until you’re blue in the
actually acid house? Maybe OK, it’s certainly not face about what constituted trance
neither. Higher State can stake a claim to straightforward trance as we back in ’91 but, whatever, Moby’s Go
various genres, but it’s certainly indebted to know it, but there’s no
the loopy repetition of trance, showing that denying that on tracks like I brought the genre – or a version of it –
acid can be trancey too. There’s a subtle Need Air and Anthemic the dubstep to the mainstream. Indeed, with just a
dividing line between the styles (and many supergroup brought trancey stabs, arps and couple of sampled vocals and a chord
people would probably file anything with a sawtooth synths to their bass-heavy sound,
progression lifted from Twin Peaks, it
303-style acid line under house or techno) but proving the huge crossover potential. It’s hard
there are huge similarities in terms of to think of any genre that couldn’t be fused arguably shaped that entire decade of
structure, builds and breakdowns. with some of the broader ideas of trance, from repetitive beats.

90 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 drum n bass / make electronic music now <

DnB is a fast-paced style of music that has its production style, DnB in comparison is typically Brookes Brothers through to hard as nails, jump-
roots in the 1990s London jungle scene. Early more refined, both in terms of drum up smashers from the likes of Hazard or DJ Guv.
jungle records combined booming, reggae- programming and overall production values. With such a wide variety of colours in the DnB
inspired bass with heavily edited, pitched up Great importance is placed on sound design, pallette, we couldn’t think of a better idea than
funk breakbeats and samples taken from music clever sampling tricks and making the low showing you how to make a DnB tune of your
styles such as hip-hop, ragga, jazz and techno. frequencies weighty, without compromising on own. Over the next few pages we’ll show you
As jungle passed its peak in popularity, a new loudness or brightness. how to create a track in any DAW using the
take on the sound emerged, which was known Part of the undoubted appeal of DnB is the legendary Plugin Suite and samples that you
as drum & bass. wide variety of styles and influences that make can find at filesilo.co.uk (at Bookazines/Music
While the two styles of music are closely up the genre, ranging from the uplifting liquid Producer’s Guide To Electronic). Time to up the
related in terms of BPM, structure and sounds of producers such as Calibre and tempo and get producing…

>Step by step 1. Creating a DnB-style track – a rapid-fire guide

TUTORIAL
FILES

Let’s make a basic drum kit that we A finger click is the ideal basis for a Add a new MIDI clip to the channel,

1 can build our track over. In a blank

174bpm project, add Brunsandspork’s
Grooove CM to a fresh MIDI channel; this is
a drum pad sampler that’s ideal for one-
2 light, layered snare; import Klick.wav
into Grooove CM. We’ll combine it with a
real snare layer to give the finished snare
power. Add Snare_10.wav in a blank lane.
3 then draw in a basic 2-step drum
pattern with the kick on beat 1 and offbeat
of beat 3, snare/click on beats 2 and 4 and
the hi-hat on 1/16th notes. To stop our
shots. Go to the Drum n Bass Folder at Finally, grab a live-sounding closed hat drums running into the red, turn down
filesilo.co.uk, and import Kick_25.wav. To (we’ve used Closed_Hat_06.wav) and load Grooove CM’s channel volume to around
create room for our sub bass later on, it into our sampler. Now, create a drum -6dB. Now we’ve got a basic groove
pitch up the kick by five semitones. pattern with these one-shots. running, we’ll add a sampled breakbeat.

Load Breaks_21(100bpm).wav onto an Add a fade to the start of each ride hit, Grab Piano_Delay_01_(120BPM).wav

4 audio channel. We’ll cut the shuffles

from the break, and put them between the
kick and snare hits. Adding the breakbeat
shuffles gives our drums momentum; add
5 so the initial transient doesn’t clash
with the kick, snare or hi-hat. Duplicate the
drums across over 16 bars. Now, put some
musical elements in. A drone sets the
6 from the Drum n Bass folder, and place
it on beat 2 of bar 1. This is a dystopian
piano stab that goes with our drone. Copy
the piano to the second eight bars, then
splash to the high frequencies with a ride scene nicely, so import Drunk_Shadows_ turn the channel down to -15dB to keep the
cymbal. Import Ride_02.wav, and place it (100bpm).wav from the samples folder. mix tidy. Import Statik_Rev_(120bpm).wav,
on every beat. The ride’s way too loud, so Reduce the channel’s volume to -9dB, so it and put it two bars before the loop’s end,
turn the channel down to -18dB. doesn’t overpower the drums. with the volume at -15dB.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 91

> make electronic music now / drum n bass

>Step by step 1. Creating a DnB-style track – a rapid-fire guide

To finish our intro, add a horn stab Open BazilleCM, and pick the Psy Subs Turn down the second bass to -5dB, so

7 from the samples folder. Place OT_Frt-

Horns-A1.wav so it plays every four bars.
Reduce the stab’s volume to -6dB to blend
it in. Copy the drums and horn stabs
8 preset; this is a weighty bass that’ll get
the speakers flexing. Reduce the volume
to -6dB, so the bass doesn’t overload the
mix. Add Bass1.mid onto the channel, a
9 it balances with the mix. Now, we’ll
make a transition from the intro to the
drop. Delete the last two bars of drums
from the intro, then add Classic FX 02.wav
across to the next 16 bars, to start building bass pattern in the tutorial folder. Fill the from the Drum n Bass sample folder. This
the drop. u-he’s awesome synth BazilleCM gaps between the sub bass with a bass is a sci-fi sounding effect that we can turn
is great for making basslines, so add it to a sample and load Fx-08.wav onto a new into a basic riser by reversing it. Again,
new MIDI track. audio track. reduce the volume to blend it in.

The transition between the sections The final piece of our transition puzzle To finish, we’ll add some variations to

10 still sounds awkward, so let’s add

some perc hits to glue it. Grab Kettle.wav
from Drum n Bass folder and place it at the
start of our two-bar gap. We’ll also add a
11 is a vocal snip. Take the sample
Another Dimension.wav from the samples
folder. Place the sample on the second
beat during the gap, then add PSP’s
12 the arrangement. Start by adding a
drum edit of your choice at the end of
eight, and 16 bars to the drop. Copy the
crash cymbal, so it’s also at the start of the
crash cymbal; import Crash_03.wav, cmDelay onto the channel so we can intro. Duplicate the drop, then delete the
placing it on the drop. Turn down both the process the dry vocal. Call up the Pipe last two bars. Copy the edit at the end of
crash and impact sounds, till they blend preset; this adds a ringy, metallic effect to the intro across into the gap to create
into the mix nicely. the vocal. another edit to end the phrase.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING PRO TIPS

CALIBRE DIMENSION LOW-END THEORY
EVEN IF RAVER When writing a bassline for DnB, or most other bass
A beautiful piece of production This 2018 banger channels the music styles for that matter, it always pays to ensure
from the Belfast supremo. spirit of old school rave, with an that at least some of the notes are hitting between E1
Amazing strings, warm bass and intro that features classic pirate and G1. While the notes in a bassline are dictated by
crisp breaks with a great vocal radio vocals, with snappy drums what key the track is in, if the bass mainly plays notes
performed by the man himself. and an FM-sounding bass. above or below this area, it can either sound flabby and
low-pitched or too honky and thin.
bit.ly/cal_ei bit.ly/d_rvr
MIX AS YOU GO
DBRIDGE & VEGAS BENNY L FT INJA A superb way to make your final mixdown both less
TRUE ROMANCE VANTA BLACKIN daunting and more fun, is to treat mixing more as
One of the genre’s bona-fide One of last year’s DnB anthems, something you do from the start, and less as a process
classics, this is elegantly simple. A this combines a reverb-soaked that follows on from producing the track. Making sure
sampled break, and handful of foghorn bass, punishing lows and basics such as levels, panning and EQ are on point
stabs leave room for a warm, yet eerie atmospherics with well- while you’re making a beat, will make the track sound
crunchy rolling bass hook… timed vocal stabs from MC Inja. more polished from the word go, while making the final
mixdown less of a chore.
bit.ly/dbv_tr bit.ly/BnyLftI_VB

92 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 drum n bass / make electronic music now <

Sound design > Step by step

DnB is well renowned for the
2. Adding bite to your bass
next-level sound design skills
showcased by the top producers
in the genre such as Calyx &
TeeBee, Noisia and Mefjus, who
are all known for creating basses,
leads, sound effects and even
drums from scratch in the studio
as opposed to sampling them
from other sources. This
dedication to crafting original
sounds is what makes one
producer stand out from another, TUTORIAL
and is something that we would FILES
recommend you look into a bit
more closely as part of your
We can use some weapons from the The benefit of using effects in parallel

1 2
production endeavours.
plugins arsenal to make our DnB on a return, as opposed to directly on
Sometimes, if you’re designing bass stand out. Let’s start by adding the channel, is that we can process the wet
sounds as you actually make a excitement to Bass 2, courtesy of some signal independently of the dry bass. Set
tune, you might find that the parallel distortion. Load up Djentbox’s the Treble and Mid EQ in GrindMachineCM
creation process of one impinges GrindMachineCM onto a new return track, to 12 o’clock; this gives the distortion a
on the other, reducing your and set up a -6dB send from Bass 2. richer, less sharp tone.
overall productivity and
enjoyment. In that scenario, why
not try splitting the two tasks
into separate sessions? Spending
one session solely making
sounds using your synths and
plugins is not only more focused
(and fun, too!) but then gives you
a big folder of ready-rolled,
fantastic sounds for when you’re
in your next writing session.

Adding reverb will give a similar sound To finish things off, we’ll EQ the return.

3 to the likes of Benny L and Loko. Place

Liquidsonics’ ReverberateCM after our
distortion, choosing the Delicate Hall
preset. Adjust the End time to four
4 Place DDMF’s LP10CM after the
reverb. We’ll use a 300Hz high-pass, and
8kHz low-pass filter to make room for the
sub bass, kick and percussion in the mix.
seconds, to reduce the reverb tail. Add Turn the return’s Volume down to -3dB, so
more wet signal using the Dry/Wet dial, to that the distortion blends into the mix.
reduce overall crunchiness.

> Step by step 3. Dress up your drums

TUTORIAL
FILES

Drawing for some creative effects will Select the Factory 3 preset; this is a Add Inear Display’s Litote CM after the

1 make our drums more interesting for

the listener during the breakdown and
intro. Start by looping over the second
16-bar section of breakdown. We’ll group
2 filter effect that’s modulated by a
sample & hold LFO for some added
randomness. Automate the Cutoff, so it
rises over the entire section. We’ll also
3 filter effect, so we can granulise our
drums. Automate the Wet/Dry amount, so
it gradually increases to create a futuristic,
cinematic-style effect that works well with
the drums together, so we can process automate the Filter type, so it switches the breakdown. To finish, we’ll automate
them collectively. Add multi-effect HY-FX from low-pass to band-pass filtering over both effects so they’re bypassed for the
CM to the drum group. the second eight bars. rest of the track.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 93

> make electronic music now / drum n bass

> Step by step 4. Perfecting your mixdown, DnB-style

TUTORIAL
FILES

DnB producers pay a lot of attention Set up a -3dB AnaPeak on Band 1 at We’ll also apply a -3dB high-shelf at

1 to their mixdowns, so let’s run through

some techniques. Start by grouping the
basses. We’ll use a little EQ on the group,
courtesy of DDMF’s IIEQ Pro CM, to carve
2 130Hz, with the Q at 6. This makes a
narrow cut that corresponds to the kick’s
loudest frequency, giving it breathing
room. We’ll also set up an identical cut at
3 1kHz, so that the high-mid frequencies
of the distorted bass are pushed back
from the perc. Next, we group the drums
to process them more. Add Sonimus
out some more room for our kick and 230Hz on Band 2, to create space for the Satson CM to apply subtle, yet needed
snare to punch through the mix. snare’s punch. warmth via analogue modelled saturation.

Let’s use ToneBooster’s Barricade CM A little stereo width will make our To finish, we’ll add a little extra depth

4 to limit the peak volume of our drum

group, giving the mix a more cohesive
sound. Set the Attack to 0ms, so that the
limiter acts instantly. Pushing the Input
5 drums pop. Add JST’s SidewidenerCM
to a new return channel, then set up -20dB
sends from the ride, crash and finger click
channels. Setting the Mode to 3, Width to
6 and brightness to the entire mix using
Acustica Audio’s mastering-grade Pink
CM. Add it to the master bus then apply a
1dB high-shelf boost at 7kHz, with a 1dB
gain to 7dB, and Out ceiling to -8dB keeps 60 and Tone to 80 makes the effect seem low-shelf boost at 50Hz to get the speaker
the balance of the mix intact. brighter, and more exaggerated. cones pumping.

POWER TIP

Breakbeat science >Space for bass

One of DnB’s sonic signatures is the use of
A key part of any pro DnB track is
chopped drum breaks to create some, or all of, getting the relationship between
the rhythm track. Originally, the idea of using the kick and bass right. A great rule
sampled breakbeats as the drum track came of thumb is to make sure they
from hip-hop, with breaks used in hip-hop occupy broadly different areas of
such as the Amen – sampled from The the frequency spectrum; typically
Winstons’ Amen Brother – and Think break – in DnB, the sub bass will be lowest
taken from Lyn Collins’ Think (About It) frequency-wise (around 40-80Hz),
becoming staples for most DnB producers. with the kick’s fundamental
frequency above it at roughly
Want to use breaks? A great tip is to find the
100Hz. If you’re struggling, try
best quality samples of the break you want to placing a 200Hz low-pass filter on
use. You’ll find that most songs containing your master, so that you can hear
well-known breaks are available on CD, so you how the instruments interact,
can easily make a perfect digital rip. Another without the mids and tops getting
tip is to put your break into mono by picking in the way.
one leg of the stereo pair, as most live drums
are recorded using wide stereo mic
techniques that don’t translate well into dance
music that’s mostly heard in mono.

94 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 2000s electronic / contents <

The 2000s
The 21st century has seen electronic
music encompass just about anything
and everything – indeed you could
argue that all music is now electronic.
But still, new genres come and go,
while others are reborn with an
unashamed nod to the past.
In the 2000s, electronic music is
everyone’s music and there to be
consumed – and produced – by all…

96 Make Electronic Music Now:

EDM
100 Interview: Jon Hopkins
106 Make Electronic Music Now:
Bassline
110 The gear!
Best-ever soft synths
112 Make Electronic Music Now:
Synthwave
117 The gear!
Classic gear
126
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 95
> make electronic music now / edm

Although EDM (electronic dance music) is dubstep, RnB and pop, clearly heard in the YouTube and Spotify, as well as selling millions
used as a catch-all term by many in the music arrangement, synthesis and vocal production of tickets for events every year. If you’re looking
scene to describe dance music (particularly in techniques used. Although EDM music is heavily to start making your own EDM anthems, then
America), it also refers to the kind of big room- pitched towards club or festival situations, the we’ve got your back with our unmissable guide
sounding music produced and played by the catchy hooks and huge vocal lines make it well on how you can make your own EDM track for
likes of Skrillex, Steve Aoki and Marshmello at suited to commercial radio too, with the concise no outlay whatsoever.
huge festivals like Ultra, EDC and Creamfields. arrangements of many tracks being made for Over the next few pages, we’ll run through
While EDM shares similarities with styles like exactly this purpose. how to create an EDM track using any DAW, the
house, including a tempo ranging from 120- All of these elements have combined into a Plugin Suite and our sample pack, all of
130bpm and the 4/4 drum patterns often used, well-established music style that’s dominating which you can find at Filesilo (Bookazines/
there’s also influence from styles as diverse as radio playlists and racking up billions of hits on Music Producer’s Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. Making an EDM composition

TUTORIAL
FILES

Set your DAW’s BPM to 128, and build a Let’s add a clap into the mix. From the Import 80s_Hat_02.wav from the

1 simple drum kit to lay your musical

sounds over. Download the EDM Track
Samples and MIDI files folder from filesilo.
co.uk and get Kick_15.wav. This is a
2 samples folder, import DownTown_
Clap_01.wav. This is a tight-sounding clap,
with a punchy attack reminiscent of a
snare. Place it on the second and fourth
3 samples onto a new channel, and
duplicate it onto every offbeat. This hat
has a tight sound out of the box, ideal for
our track. Lower the channel to -9dB to
weighty, EDM-style kick that’s a great beats of every bar then lower it to -9dB, so keep the mix balanced. Extend the
building block. Reduce it to -6dB to keep it sits better mixed with the kick. Next, add arrangement to 16 bars. Add Gear_Up_
your volume right, then copy the kick onto some percussion parts to give the drum Crash.wav (again from the samples), and
each beat over two bars. track momentum. place it at the start of the arrangement.

Lower the crash volume, then apply a We’ll stretch our track to a full Delete all of the snare and hi-hat audio

4 fade to the end of it to tidy it. Now load

the Dmitry Sches’ ThornCM plugin (from
the instruments folder) onto a new MIDI
channel, then select the SEQ Collider
5 arrangement. Copy the parts to make
another 16-bar section. Add ThornCM onto
a new MIDI track, with the Lead-Planet
preset selected; this is a huge-sounding
6 from the first eight bars of our second
section, so that the lead takes precedence.
Mute all the kicks, except for the first one
that we’ll turn into an effect later on. We’ll
preset, a great arpeggiated sequence that lead, perfect for this track. Import Lead. begin by making a build by looping over
we can use for our intro. Import Arp.mid mid onto the channel to trigger the synth, two bars of the arpeggiator and lead
(from the samples folder) to trigger then turn the channel down to -2dB to during the second eight-bar section,
ThornCM, and reduce the channel volume. keep the levels in check. decreasing this to one bar for the last four.

96 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 edm / make electronic music now <

RECOMMENDED LISTENING PRO TIPS

MARTIN GARRIX DEADMAU5 & KASKADE DE-ESSING BLESSING
ANIMALS I REMEMBER If you’re using EDM-style one-shot effects or risers
This 2013 smash announced A beautiful piece of production, from the likes of Loopmasters or Vengeance, you might
Martin Garrix to the world, with with warm synths and crisp perc find that they start to add harshness to the high-mid
its slick production and complementing the haunting frequencies of your mix, particularly when layered.
arrangement accenting the vocals perfectly. Definitely an Deal with this issue dynamically by grouping the
unmissable lead synth line. EDM classic! effects, before applying de-essing. This effect, normally
used for vocals, will remove the harsh high-mid
bit.ly/mg_anmls bit.ly/ddmskskd_ir frequencies only when its threshold is breached, giving
a more natural sound.
SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA AVICII
FT JOHN MARTIN LEVELS SIZZLING SYNTHS
DON’T YOU WORRY CHILD The legacy of the late Tim Bergling The kind of synths frequently used in EDM production
Commercial music fan or not, you (aka Avicii) as one of EDM’s finest have a full-range sound that, while filling the mix nicely,
won’t have escaped this monster, players lives on, with tracks such can cause harshness or frequency clashes in the bass
with big synths and possibly the as Levels now considered to be and high frequency areas. Taking time to EQ these
catchiest vocal of the 10s. genuine classics. areas will give a smoother overall finish, while leaving
room for the bass, kick and percussion to do their thing
without unpleasant masking, giving your mix a
bit.ly/swhm_dywc bit.ly/avc_lvls fatiguing overall sound, particularly on a PA system.

Copy the crash cymbal over eight bars Import Lead.mid onto the lead A synth bass will fill out the

7 across, so it hits when the drums

return. We’ll mute the drums entirely from
the last bar, giving the lead added impact
before the drop. Create a clap build over
8 channel for our drop. Add a new MIDI
track, with Synapse Audio’s DuneCM
loaded up. Drop Lead Chords.mid onto the
track; this is a chord progression we’ve
9 frequencies below the lead sounds,
adding weight. Add a new MIDI channel,
with Bass.mid loaded onto it. Call up u-he’s
BazilleCM, and select the Purr Bass preset.
the last four bars, so the clap picks up made to back up the lead line. Load the Now, copy the entire drop section so that
pace. Now, we’ll duplicate the drums from VengeanZ RL preset in DuneCM; a fat, it’s 32 bars in length. We’ll duplicate the
the first 16 bars after the build section, so unison, detuned lead to beef up the drop. lead, chord and bass MIDI parts again to
we can work on the drop. Reduce volume to -7dB to keep balance. start creating the breakdown.

Grab the second eight bars of our Let’s add effects. Import FM_Odd_ A noise burst on the drop gives

10 build section, and copy it across to go

after the breakdown. Place a crash cymbal
at the start of the breakdown, then grab
the drop audio/MIDI and place it after the
11 Sting.wav onto a new channel, then
reverse and place it at the end of each
16-bar section, making a subtle riser. Place
70s_Synth_Rise.wav from sample folder
12 character. Place TapeNoise03.wav
from the sample folder on the second beat
of the drop. Fade out the audio, so the
burst reduces to silence. To finish, add a
second build. After duplicating the last 16 under both build sections to add vocal snip; grab Make_some_noise.wav
bars of the second drop, mute the lead atmosphere. Delete the last bar of the and place it directly before each drop,
and chords MIDI to create a cooled down synth rise, then lower both effects to -3dB pitched down by five semitones.
final 16 bars to finish the track off. to preserve mix balance.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 97

> make electronic music now / edm

> Step by step 2. Sidechain gain: an EDM staple Sidechaining

A huge part of the production
style of your favourite EDM
anthems will be the use of
sidechain compression in order
to rhythmically change the
volume of elements such as
synths, bass or even vocals using
another element in the track as
the sidechain trigger. This can be
particularly beneficial when
TUTORIAL
producing music such as EDM
FILES that’ll be later mixed and
mastered to extreme levels of
loudness, as dense sounds like
Sidechain compression is an integral Some sidechaining helps the bass and

1 2
lead synths or bass can be made
part of EDM, so let’s put it into action kick gel together. Copy the plugin
to fit around the other parts of
in our track. Start by loading a sidechain from the FX Noise channel to the Bass
compressor onto the FX Noise channel, channel, then reduce the Release to 20ms, the song.
with the kick selected as the trigger. so the ducking effect ends more quickly. This technique will be familiar
Reduce Attack to its fastest, then set the Increasing the Ratio to 4:1 gives a more to most of us, as it’s used heavily
Threshold at -30dB to increase the effect. brusque sound to the effect. in contemporary genres ranging
from house music, through to
dubstep and beyond. While
sidechaining is often used as a
creative volume modulation
technique, the main reason that
sidechaining is so ubiquitous in
dance production is because it’s a
simple way of moving one
element away from another,
creating extra headroom for
important parts like the kick,
snare or bass to take their
rightful place in the mix.

While sidechain compression using a We’ll draw in automation of our

3 dedicated plugin with sidechain input

is simple and effective, sometimes it’s
more precise and controllable to instead
program in the ducking effect using
4 volume on beats 2 and 4 of each bar,
so that it ducks the lead chords when the
clap hits. Copy the automation so it’s on
both drops. Now, when you bypass the
automation of a utility plugin; let’s try this plugin, you’ll hear that the clap doesn’t
out for our lead chords. Add any utility pop out as much.
plugin onto the Lead Chords channel.

> Step by step 3. Automation nation

TUTORIAL
FILES

Embellish the arrangement by Adding a cool multi-effect to the lead To finish up, filter the lead chords in

1 automating some filters. Add

Vengeance’s VPS PhiltaCM to the Kick
channel. High-pass filter the kick using
some automation for the eight-bar build
2 line for the one-bar gap before the
drop adds impact to the drop. Add HY-FX
CM onto the channel, then select the
Factory 03 preset, which adds cool filter
3 the breakdown. Add VPS PhiltaCM
onto the channel, then set the Slope to
48dB/octave for a sharper sound. Draw in
some automation of the Low-pass
prior to the drop, so the bass fades in. modulation. Automate the effect so that frequency across the 16-bar section, so
Copy the automation to the second build. it’s bypassed except at this point. that the high frequencies fade out as the
breakdown unfolds.

98 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 edm / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Mixing down your EDM track

TUTORIAL
FILES

Let’s start with a crash. The right The delay adds a spacious, interesting Dial in some -6dB sends from the clap,

1 channel is stronger than the left, so

isolate it using a utility plugin. Load the
plugin, and set the channel mode to Right,
turning our crash into a mono sound. Add
2 feel to the crash while adding detail to
the overall arrangement. Next, add reverb
to the percussion and clap. Add
Liquidsonics Reverberate CM onto a
3 crash and hi-hat to the reverb return
track. You’ll hear that the reverb is quite
short, adding reflections without
swamping the mix. Use Reverberate CM’s
an 1/8th note delay, with the Dry/Wet mix return track with the Drum Booth 2 preset low-shelf filter to make a -3dB cut at
at 40%. loaded. Set the Dry/Wet control to full wet. 400Hz, increasing low frequency clarity.

Next, we’ll add an EQ boost to the kick, Add Eareckon’s excellent CM-EQUA 87 To finish, we’ll use limiting to rein in

4 so it cuts through the mix better. Load

DDMF’s LP10 CM onto the channel, and
dial in a 3dB peak boost at 1kHz; you’ll hear
the kick poke through the mix. Now, group
5 to the lead group, and set the low-cut
filter to 200Hz to make room for the kick
and bass. A -2dB high shelf HF cut at
1.5kHz will dull the natural sharpness of
6 our spiky lead line. Add ToneBoosters’
Barricade CM to the channel, then set the
Out ceiling to -5dB to get around 3dB of
peak gain reduction. You’ll hear the synth
the lead chords and lead line. the synths, making extra space for the instantly gel with the mix, with extra room
percussion to shine. for the percussion.

POWER TIP

> For reference…

Simplicity is key When you reference your EDM tune
in mono, you may find that those
Ever wondered why EDM tracks sound so huge synths sound weak due to
massive? The answer is (literally) simplicity phase cancellation, leading to an
itself. Unlike styles like drum&bass that are EDM track that lacks power when
constructed from painstakingly-layered played back on festival/club PA
drum, bass and lead sounds, EDM is systems, FM radio or even your
constructed using bigger sounds, but fewer iPhone. In this situation, use a mid/
of them. This means that each sound has side plugin such as Voxengo’s fab
more room in the mix, and there’s also more freebie MSED, which splits the
stereo left/right signal into its mono
room for the trademark effects such as
and stereo spread components, to
reverb and delay that are coated all over boost the volume of the mid
EDM sounds. (mono) channel accordingly,
So, if you’re feeling like your track isn’t adding mono weight without
sounding big enough, what can be done? compromising on stereo width.
Firstly, we’d recommend selecting naturally For big EDM sounds, keep things simple
bigger sounds as a starting point. While a
subtle layer or processing can give the Equally, while a bit of distortion or similar
desired effect, you’ll find that elaborately will beef up your synths, it’s always worth
constructed layered kicks, snares and looking at applying a bit of unison detuning
basses won’t sound as powerful in or similar in the synth itself for a naturally
comparison to naturally big sounds. huge sound.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 99

 > interview / jon hopkins
Photo: Steve Gullick

100 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 jon hopkins / interview <

JON
HOPKINS
Where Electronic Music goes in the 21st
century is anyone’s guess, but Jon Hopkins
is doing his best to lead us there

As a young lad growing up just outside the lure of synthesisers… and the giddy joy of
London, Jon Hopkins decided he was audio experimentation.
going to learn to play the drums. But, as he “I suppose it was a big hint of what was to
sat down behind the kit, he realised there come,” says Hopkins. “A musical signpost to
was something wrong. where I was headed.”
“The kick drum sounded weird,” he At 17 and straight out of college, Hopkins was
remembers. “Every time I played it, it sounded already employed as a touring keyboard player,
different. I didn’t want that. I wanted every kick but also working on a bunch of tunes that
to sound the same. I wanted a kick drum like the became his 2001 debut, Opalescent. Although it
one that I heard on the radio… on songs like was, for all intents and purposes, an
MARRS’ Pump Up The Volume and D-Mob’s We underground album, it had an immediate
Call It Acieed. impact, and Hopkins spent the next few years
“I didn’t know it at the time, but it wasn’t hanging out with the likes of Brian Eno, David
really a drum kit that I was interested in. It was a Holmes and Coldplay – he was co-producer on
drum machine.” their 2008 album Viva la Vida.
Although the 42-year-old Hopkins now There were soundtrack albums (the 2010 Brit
regrets hanging up his ‘sticks’ – “it would be sci-fi movie, Monsters), collaborations (the
brilliant to play live drums on stage!” – he Mercury-nominated Diamond Mine with King
acknowledges that this natural affinity with Creosote) and American success for his 2009
electronically-generated sound overshadowed album, Insides.
his early years. He was a gifted, self-taught As he continued to branch out, critics
classical pianist, but could never really escape struggled to find a convenient label for Hopkins’

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 101

 > interview / jon hopkins

music. His 2013 album, Immunity, was often

called ‘techno’, but also featured delicate piano “I’d find it difficult if I was coming into music today.
and early-morning ambience. And it was the
same with 2018’s Grammy-nominated and top
10 album Singularity. Aphex Twin, psychedelia,
You’ve got infinite choices. If you’re not careful, you
glitchy, EDM, IDM, heart-breaking, dystopian,
brutal, beautiful, classical… are all words you’ll start running around like a headless chicken”
find in Singularity reviews.
And Hopkins himself opts for something
much simpler: “What do I call my music? Beats difficult if I was coming into music today. Even if takes shape. Most producers make 100 songs
with melodies.” you’ve only got Ableton Live, just look at all the and choose the best 10 for the album. I make
options you’ve got. You can do so much. You’ve 100 songs, but that will be ten different versions
‘Eclectic’ is an overused word, but it’s hard to got infinite choices. If you’re not careful, you of the ten songs that are going on the album.
listen to a Jon Hopkins album without start running around like a headless chicken. Each time I make a new version, it gets stripped
reaching for it. Is that how you’ve always “When you’ve got hardly any equipment, back. I take away more notes; take away more of
made music? very little money and no access to any the beat.
JH: “I can honestly say that I have never thought information, your sound is very much dictated “The most sonically complex song on
of music in those terms. A bit of this, a bit of that. by you, your setup and what you’re listening to. Singularity was probably Neon Pattern Drum.
I’m someone who believes in instinct. If I have a Nothing more.” The earlier versions were far heavier and much
method, that’s it. Follow your instinct. Don’t “You could possibly argue that I limit the more experimental. You might think that makes
worry about whether this piece of music is music as I’m writing. I strip back all the it sound more interesting, but it wasn’t. It was
meant to fit with that piece of music. If it feels unnecessary rubbish. I think you can hear that unsatisfying. Wildly spinning away from the core
right in your head, that’s all you need. on the last album – the rhythms definitely felt aesthetic. Yes, I like experimentation, but I also
“If the music has been shaped by anything, simpler. I was really just looking for a nice want my songs to be accessible. Complexity and
it’s probably the availability of equipment at the groove, instead of some over-programmed, melody working together.”
time. Limitation. For the first ten years, I was glitchy IDM thing.
working with a very limited setup… Cubase, a “Removing stuff has become a big part of the Did you ever consider going full-on classical
pirated copy of Sound Forge, a pirated Juno VST way I work. If I’ve had a day writing, I sit down musician after you finished at the Royal
and a couple of bits of hardware. That was all I the next morning and start taking out the College of Music?
had when I was trying to find my sound and, rubbish. The bits where I’ve got too fiddly and JH: “As a kid – and after I went to college – I was
looking back on it, those limits turned out to be complex. All the additional detail that you think aware that there had always been two strains of
quite useful.” a song needs. Take it out. Get rid of it.” music running through my life: the classical
piano thing and the free-form, electronic thing.
We hate to bring his name in so early, but You’re obviously a very good piano player, As far as I had been concerned, they were miles
your mate, Brian Eno, has often talked about technically speaking, having attended the apart, and there was very little chance of them
setting limits in the studio. Royal College of Music from the age of 12, ever meeting.
JH:“Probably the main thing I learned from studying Stravinsky and others. So it stands “There was a studio at college, but we were
working with Brian is the importance of to reason that you could very easily rustle up only allowed about an hour a week in there. An
accidents. If the music seems to be going off in a tune with thousands of chord changes and hour doesn’t give you enough time to finish
that direction, let it go.” elaborate prog rock-style melodies. Does that anything, which meant there was no end result.
side of your musical brain ever take over and Being in the studio didn’t amount to anything.
Do you still try and limit yourself in your dictate what kind of music you write? On the other hand, if you’re good at piano and
work today? JH:“I don’t think it takes over, but it does creep you can play a particular piece, you’ve got your
JH: “Difficult question. I think I’d find it very in, which is why I have to chip it away as a song end result right there.
“At 12 or 13 years old, kids tend to do what
they’re told. I was being pushed towards the
piano and I eventually found a very inspiring
piano teacher. She wasn’t much older than me –
probably in her early 20s – and she finally got
me to understand the piano. And I’m glad she
did, because it came in very useful over the
years. Dexterity, finger technique and all that.
“But, the older I got, the more I realised that
the piano side of things was existing completely
independently from the electronic side. And the
electronic side was where I felt most
comfortable. At 17 years old, when I finished my
exams, I had already decided that I didn’t want
to study any more. I wanted to make music with
my computer.
“And that’s what sort of happened. Thanks to
my friend, Leo Abrahams [Abrahams was at the
Royal College of Music with Hopkins and has
worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Karl Hyde
Photo by Nick Pickles/ Redferns via Getty Images

and Grace Jones], I was offered a job with

Imogen Heap’s band, playing keyboards. I was
straight out of college and earning 100 quid a
week. Unheard of these days!
“They even allowed me to pick a keyboard, so
I asked for the Korg Trinity, which I’d been
Jon Hopkins at Brixton reading about in Future Music. There was no
Academy in April 2015 way I could afford a two-and-a-half-grand synth,
but I had one bought for me.

102 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 jon hopkins / interview <

Jon in his East London-based studio

“There was also an Akai S3000 sampler, so I doing was technically correct. I just wanted to Kit list
was learning how to fire in samples, too. Of make music that got me excited. HARDWARE
course, all of this experience was feeding back “OctaMED had MIDI, too, which meant I could Apple MacBook Pro
into my own music. I was allowed to take the look outside the computer. I was probably 15 (2.2Ghz Core i7, 16GB
Trinity home in between tours, so that found its when a mate of mine asked me if I wanted to RAM)
way into my setup. Finally, I had the basics of a buy his Roland D-20. Oh, yes! That was it… I was Moog Sub Phatty
home studio.” sequencing my own music. It was such an Korg Trinity and MS-20
exciting time. Yamaha SY77
You mentioned Cubase software. That was “Unfortunately, after a few weeks, I found out Korg Kaoss Pads for live
your platform at the time? that my mate wasn’t actually authorised to sell Upright grand piano
JH:“Ha ha! Let’s go back even further. When I the Roland, so I had to take it back and hand it Focal Twin 6 BE monitors
was maybe 12 or 13, I had an Amstrad CPC, but over to his dad.” Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre
you could only make one square wave with that.
Not what you’d call a musically creative Ouch! SOFTWARE
computer! So I switched over to the Amiga, with JH: “I know! I can’t tell you how disappointed I Ableton Live
a program that I’m sure a lot of readers will was. I think that was one of the moments when I Soundtoys Decapitator
remember… OctaMED. Between four to 16 realised how important music had become in and EchoBoy
columns of numbers, with 8-bit sample facility my life. I was heartbroken over the loss of a NI Kontakt/Nils Frahm
on the first four channels. Sampling! Adding bits Roland D-20. Una Corda
of my favourite tracks from record and tape. “It took a long time to save up for my next Goodhertz Vulf
compressor
Chopping up sound. synth: a Yamaha SY77. Yes, it allowed me to dig
SoundHack
“All with no instructions! I’m not telling you deep into FM synthesis, but the effects unit was +Bubbler Delay
that because I’m trying to prove how great I crap. I was already into the idea of huge reverbs Waves Renaissance EQ/
was; I guess that what I’m trying to say is that and delays, but the 77 had a somewhat Reverb/SuperTap Delay
everything was done by feel and instinct. There underwhelming 300ms of delay. Audio Ease Altiverb
were no instruction manuals. The bottom line “That’s the thing I still struggle to get my
was, ‘Does it work?’ I had no idea if what I was head around these days… the difference
between then and now. Back then, if your synth
only had 300ms of delay, that was it. I knew
what I needed to make the music that was
“I knew what I needed to in my head, but I literally couldn’t afford
it. I could not afford the Lexicon I
make the music that was wanted. Today, the idea that you can’t
afford a reverb or a delay… it’s
in my head, but I literally hilarious!”

Presumably, you saw the move ‘onboard’ as a

couldn’t afford it” huge leap forward, then? I mean, plugins
Jon’s Moog Sub Phatty helped achieve
Luminous Beings’ warm bass sounds

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 103

> interview / jon hopkins

That big, broken

Jon Hopkins sound
“For me, there have always been two sides to
electronic music. There’s the ethereal, weightless
side; and the dark, filthy side. And, yes, I like things to
sound… big. How do I get that sound? Massive
amounts of processing for the filthy side. Lots of
Soundtoys Decapitator – and I mean lots! Boosting
the bits that you think are just noise. Boosting the
mistakes. Using Ableton to really dig into the details
of the sound, so I can pick out artefacts that aren’t
even supposed to be there. Boost them. And distort
them again.
“At the ethereal end of the spectrum, start looking
at the stereo spread. I constantly play around with
the width of a sound, starting in mono and moving
things out into wide stereo… vast stereo!

Photo: Steve Gullick

“Then you set the two against each other. Start a
fight and see who wins.”

weren’t really cheap in the early days, but you’ve also got the power of Ableton. For me, it’s with the audio sent out to Kaoss pads. That
they were certainly cheaper than the top- the most incredible piece of music software allows me to do anything I want to do.
notch hardware. that’s out there.” “I suppose the odd thing is that I don’t really
JH: “Actually, it was the whole ‘recording audio’ consider myself a dance music artist. Although
thing that got me working inside the box. After And plugins? there are elements of dance in the live shows,
the Amiga, a computer genius friend of mine “Altiverb has been a good friend to me over the I’m not really trying to create a full-on party. I
built me a PC and I moved up to Cubase. I could years. EchoBoy is amazing. I invested in a Waves can extend sections and I can respond to the
record audio and, very quickly, I found I was bundle because I like the sound of the crowd, but I don’t like the idea of turning my
leaning towards that way of working. As soon as Renaissance reverb and EQ. The Vulf music into something that’s unidentifiable. I
I’d got the right notes in MIDI, I’d print it. I had compressor from Goodhertz is very nice. There’s want people to know which song I’m playing
the confidence to say, ‘I’m not going to change some great freeware out there, too. when I play it.”
that bunch of notes’. “I’m really enjoying using Bubbler, which is a
“I was using Sound Forge at the time, which superb granular delay. I’ve been using it to There is more information about Jon’s latest
meant that I could destructively apply plugins to generate pads out of… well, you can make a pad projects at jonhopkins.co.uk
the audio, so that I still had some control over out of anything. It’s been years since I’ve
the sound. But I liked the idea that I’d applied a actually used a pad preset on a synth. Even a
small full-stop to that bit of the song. It was in simple piano can make a harmonically complex
the computer and I was safe. I wasn’t going to pad, and it’s a lot more fun than just pulling up
lose it. the same old pad preset.”
“Conveniently, I also found that I liked editing
audio. I could get strange results. Sounds that I The piano is and seems to have always been a HEAR MORE
couldn’t get with MIDI programming. Chopped recurring theme in your music. Is the one you
up reverbs and delays. Weird cut-offs. use real or digital?
“I’ve not gone fully native. I still like hardware JH: “I’ve got the same upright grand that I’ve
synths. It’s not a point of principal. I just like the had since 1989, permanently miked up in the
sound of a real synth.” studio. I have tried a few piano plugins, but they
all sound like the M1 piano to me. The first one
Grammy nominations, decent album sales. that I’ve felt comfortable with is Nils Frahm’s Una
No doubt you’ve treated yourself to a few Corda, which is a Kontakt instrument. Nils and I Singularity
bit.ly/jh_sing
synth goodies? share the same piano-playing aesthetic of hot
Open Eye Signal
JH: “That was always the plan, but it never miking and soft playing. It was used on the bit.ly/JH_OES
happened. I’ve got my SY77, Moog Sub Phatty, album – at the end of Luminous Beings – and it’s
the Trinity – which I never gave back! – and a my main live piano.”
Korg MS-20. All running via Ableton Live. WWW

jonhopkins.co.uk
“I went from Cubase to Logic, but moved to How do you go about transferring your sound
soundcloud.com/jonhopkins
Ableton after they rebuilt the audio engine. Up to the live arena?
until that point, I had a real problem with JH: “Singularity was the first album I recorded twitter.com/Jon_Hopkins
Ableton because it sounded like… Ableton. Now, using Ableton Live, which made the live show a
facebook.com/jonhopkinsmusic
you’ve got a sound that’s as good as Logic, but lot easier: Ableton plus a couple of controllers,

104 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

CELEBRATING THE SONGS AND SOUNDS
OF THE GREATEST DECADE IN MUSIC
From Britpop to girl power, Europop to boy bands, look back on the ups and
downs of icons such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, and
reminisce about the greatest musical moments of the decade.

ON SALE
NOW

Ordering is easy. Go online at:

Or get it from selected supermarkets & newsagents

> make electronic music now / bassline

Bassline music (also known as bass house) dancefloor squarely in mind, boasting EDM-style If you fancy making your own bassline track,
has been storming clubs and festivals drops, weighty sub bass, extreme mid-range then we’ve got your back with our guide on how
worldwide over the last few years, with artists and detuned mid synth leads, all creating a to produce one here using just your DAW, the
such as Holy Goof, Chris Lorenzo and Skepsis sound that can be intentionally abrasive but Plugin Suite and samples from the Music
making music based on the classic sound of never fails to cut through in the rave. As the Producer’s Guide To Electronic folder at filesilo.
bassline tracks from the mid to late 2000s. original bassline sound itself took inspiration co.uk (under Bookazines). We’ll run through
Their technique is to then add their own from speed garage and uplifting vocal house drum-making techniques, mid-range bass
twist, taking influence from production methods there are strong influences in today’s bass tracks synthesis, arrangement ideas and all the other
and sounds used in styles ranging from rave, from those styles, both in terms of the tempo cool stuff you need to make your own bassline
techno and grime through to jungle and which usually sits between 128-140bpm, and the track. Videos and tutorial files are also available
DnB. Bassline tracks are produced with the energetic 4/4 drum beat. in the folder at filesilo.co.uk.

>Step by step 1. Bassline in 60 minutes

TUTORIAL
FILES

Let’s get started by making the drop We’ll turn the kick down to -6dB to Some percussion will flesh out the kick

1 for the track. Set your BPM to 130, and

grab Chase_Kit_Kick09.wav from the
samples folder; this is a beefy kick we can
use for building our drums. Add it to an
2 avoid clipping. Next, we’ll build a
layered clap and snare to go on beats 2
and 4 in the bar. Add DownTown_Clap_02.
wav from the samples folder, then turn it
3 and snare. We’ll place a hi-hat from the
samples folder (Load_Up_ClosedHat.wav)
on every off beat, then turn it down to
-6dB. Import a drum machine loop from
audio track then shorten the tail slightly, down to -10dB so it doesn’t dominate the the folder (CD_Drums_95-17.wav) onto a
with a fade out to avoid any clicks or pops. kick. Import Vice_Snare_09.wav from the new track. We’ll delete most of the loop, so
Duplicate the kick sample, so it’s placed on same folder to layer with the clap; turning that just a cool shuffle between the snare
every beat of the bar. it down substantially gels the two layers. hits remains.

Turn down the shuffle we’ve just To give the bass real power, we add a Let’s make a variation on the bass, to

4 added, so it is just a subtle part of the

mix. Next, we’ll stretch the one-bar drum
loop out into a 16-bar section. Now add
some synths with Synapse’s Dune CM on a
5 booming sub bass courtesy of u-he
Bazille CM’s Psy Subs preset. Turn down
mid and sub basses to -9dB, so they don’t
sit in front of the drums. Add Audiffex STA
6 use as a fill. Duplicate the Mid bass
channel, then delete the MIDI clips. Move
the last bar of MIDI to the duplicate
channel, so the new synth is triggered at
new MIDI track. From the tutorial folder at Enhancer CM to the mid bass, with the the end of the phrase. Open Dune CM, and
filesolo.co.uk Load Mid Bass.fxp – a bass Vintage XCiter preset loaded – this adds change Osc 2’s waveform to sawtooth,
patch we’ve pre-made – and add Bass.mid density, and harmonic excitement to our with the FM 1 dial at 20%. This makes our
onto the MIDI track, to trigger it. synth patch without going too crunchy. patch change to a more ringy sound.

106 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 bassline / make electronic music now <

RECOMMENDED LISTENING PRO TIPS

SKEPSIS - GOES LIKE DARKZY - IT’S YOU ALL IN THE TIMING
One of bass music’s biggest Trance-tinged vocals and pads You can change the feel of your drums quite
tracks in recent years, the mid kick this off, into a savage drop dramatically by using your DAW’s channel time delay
bass in Goes Like is so sharp that that combines screeching bass on various layers. This lets you make subtle timing
it could cut titanium, while and weighty drums. changes by shifting sounds ahead, or behind the grid
thumping drums keep the track Undoubtedly one of Darkzy’s by milliseconds at a time. For example, try time delay to
moving along. best bassline tracks to date. shift the offbeat hi-hat 5ms ahead of the grid to give a
more urgent feel. Time delay is also great for shifting
bit.ly/skpss_glt bit.ly/dkz_iy snare/clap layers to make them gel.

DRAKE - GODS PLAN BRU-C FT WINDOW KID, THINLY SPREAD

(HOLY GOOF BOOTLEG) JAMIE DUGGAN AND The kind of complex synth lead and bass sounds used
This took Drake’s hit and turned it BOODA - WEEKEND BOYS in bassline (and many other dance styles for that
into a massive, bass-heavy banger The original Niche vibe is bang up matter) are often synthesised using unison detuning,
by adding in some huge synths, to date for this, with witty vocals alongside effects like reverb or stereo excitement. This
fat drums and lashing after lashing from MCs Bru-C and Window Kid can sometimes impact on their mono compatibility,
of sound effects. the track’s main focal point. which is not ideal for club PA, or smartphone playback.
To get around this, try adding extra mono weight by
mixing in mono saturation or distortion of your synth
bit.ly/drk_gp_hg bit.ly/brcwndwkd parts on a return channel…

We’ll add a few one-shot sound effects Turn down the effect channels to Let’s add some musical elements to

7 to flesh out the arrangement. Grab

Fx_01.wav from the samples folder, and
place it at the start. We’ll also take Fx_05.
wav from the same folder. Place the effect
8 -18dB, so they are pushed back in the
mix. Copy the drums and effects across to
the previous 16 bars, so we can use them
to build the intro. Mute the kick during the
9 the intro, starting with brass. Grab the
OT_Lp-Brass-E3.wav sample and duplicate
it across the intro. Turn it down to -6dB.
Next, we’ll make an intro riff from the bass
on the last four bars, then reverse it to turn intro’s first eight bars, and the percussion notes. Add Dmitry Sches’ ThornCM onto a
it into a fantastic riser. A final effect (Robo_ for the second eight-bar part. Duplicate new MIDI track, then duplicate the bass
FX_01.wav) placed on the second eight the clap so it plays over the kick, before MIDI across. Use the LEAD Rush preset, as
bars adds extra detail. doubling up for the last four bars. it complements our intro perfectly.

We’ll turn down ThornCM’s channel to Select the kick drums for the last two To finish, we’ll flesh the track out into a

10 -7dB to retain a nice mix balance. Next,

select the first bar of the brass and lead
regions and copy them across the second
eight bars of intro. This adds momentum
11 bars of the intro, then double them up.
We’ll double up the kick again for the last
bar, creating a classic roll. Now, we’ll high-
pass filter the kick drum out before the
12 larger arrangement. Duplicate the
16-bar drop, then place the entire intro
after it so we’ve got an intro, drop and
breakdown. We’ll then select the full drop,
to the build up, and we can embellish this drop using Vengeance VPS Philta CM. Add and copy it after the breakdown. We’ll
even more by making the brass and lead the plugin, and draw in some automation duplicate the last 16 bars of the second
loops repeat more quickly during the last so that the kick’s bass disappears before drop, then mute the mid bass so it’s more
four bars of intro, similar to a kick roll. the drop, before snapping back in. of a cooled-off section to finish on.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 107

> make electronic music now / bassline

> Step by step Arrangement hacks

2. Mid-bass synth using Dune CM
When arranging, it’s always good
to go the extra mile and put your
stamp on it. You can do this in lots
of ways, including by using
automation. For example, you
could low-pass filter your drums
during the intro so the high
frequencies gradually fade in,
adding a level of suspense.
Another simple automation trick
is to adjust the master volume so
that it gradually reduces by 1dB
TUTORIAL just before the drop, before
FILES changing back to the original
volume to give the drop a greater
Making a detuned, abrasive mid synth Beef up our sound by pushing
bit of impact.

1 patch is a doddle with Synapse’s

fantastic Dune CM. Load the Init preset
from Bank B to reset the synth. Set both
Oscillator 1 and 2 to a square wave, for
2 Oscillator 1 and 2’s Fat dials to 70%.
Increasing the Ring Mod amount to about
60% adds a high pitched overtone. Now,
when we adjust FM 2 to 66%, Oscillator 1
Creating clever edits to parts
of the arrangement can also add
individuality. One of bassline’s
most common edits is the false
richer harmonics. Setting the OscMix to will modulate the frequency of Oscillator drop, whereby the drums will be
50% brings Oscillator 2 into the mix. 2, resulting in a wobbly bass tone. muted for the first two bars of the
drop in order to make the
bassline the focal point after the
buildup. It’s also worth doing
some subtle edits to your drums,
either by adding extra parts that
come in during the track or by
making pattern changes at the
end of a phrase.

Adding detuning will make our sound Reduce the Filter Cutoff to 10%.

3 more abrasive. Set the Unison voices

to 3, and Detune amount to around 80%.
Tune Oscillator 2 up by three octaves, so
the synth sounds more piercing. Set the
4 Setting the Filter Envelope for a
medium attack and decay, with fastest
sustain and release, opens and closes the
filter quickly when a note is played for that
Filter Env to 100%, so we can modulate authentic bassline sound. To finish,
the filter with the onboard filter envelope. increase the filter’s Resonance to around
40% for a sharper sound.

> Step by step 3. Designer drops

TUTORIAL
FILES

Let’s add some individuality to our Add another VPS Philta CM to the Group the brass and lead parts. We’ll

1 track using some clever plugin

processing. Start by adding Vengeance’s
VPS Philta CM to the Lead Synth channel.
We’ll use the high-pass filter to gradually
2 Brass channel, so we can low-pass
filter the brass out leading into the drop.
Draw in the automation, so it takes a few
of the high frequencies away for the first
3 use Subsonic Labs Wolfram CM on the
group to process the musical parts
together to lead into the drop. Load the
CM Resonance Peak preset, then
fade in the lead’s low frequencies over the eight bars, with a more obvious fall in the automate the Mix across the intro to
first eight bars of intro, for extra suspense. second eight. gradually fade the effect in.

108 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 bassline / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Bassline mixdown

TUTORIAL
FILES

Let’s begin by processing the sound Synthesised sound effects of this type Let’s turn our attention to the drums.

1 effects we’ve used, so they work with

the other parts more effectively. Start by
grouping the three effects. Call up DDMF’s
LP10CM EQ, and set Band 1 to HP12.
2 often sound sharp in the high mids,
thanks to the resonant filters and noise
used to create them. We’ll deal with this
using ToneBooster’s SibilanceCM; this is
3 Group all the parts, except the kick.
Load up Eareckon’s CM-EQUA 87 onto the
group, and set the high-pass Filter to
150Hz. This’ll make room for the kick to
Setting the filter Frequency to 200Hz will designed for vocal duties, but it helps breathe. A 2dB HF shelf boost at 8kHz
roll off the low frequencies, adding clarity. control high frequencies in any sound. adds shine to the drums.

Let’s process the snare. First, set the Group the clap and snare, so we can To finish, we’ll process the mid basses.

4 channel time delay to 5ms, so the

snare is delayed behind the grid to aid
layering with the clap. Next, add
Audiority’s TS-1CM transient shaper. Set
5 process them as one. Add Rob Papen’s
RP Distort to the group, then select the
Mackie CH Dist RF preset; this emulates a
retro Mackie mixing board. Reduce the
6 Group them, and add Sonimus Satson
CM. Set the high-pass filter to 9 o’clock, so
it rolls off the low frequencies. Switch in
the 12dB/oct filter, so it makes a sharper
Gain A to 24, and Blend to 100% to remove dry/wet to 3% wet, so our distortion is cut. Push the Gain to 1 o’clock to add drive.
the 80s sounding reverb from the snare. mixed into the dry signal.

POWER TIP

Synth work >Reining it in

Sound design, and in particular bass You’ll normally find that the
synthesis, is a big part of the bassline detuned synth parts used in
aesthetic. Whilst you can use sampled basses bassline have quite wild
to great effect, making your own patches resonances between 300Hz and
using a synth will allow you to adjust the 2kHz or so, which is what gives
them their unique character. The
synth’s tone as the track unfolds, creating
usual approach to these kind of
interesting variations on your original sound. issues is to reduce the resonant
As the sounds in bassline are very dense frequencies using EQ notches or
and detuned, it makes sense to use a multiband compression, but you
wavetable synth with multiple oscillators as might find that this can stop the
your starting point. Wavetable oscillators synths cutting through correctly on
generally offer more harmonically dense a PA system. Instead, try and make
waveforms, which can be combined together room for these frequencies by
to create the attention-grabbing, complex making EQ cuts to the parts that sit
in a similar frequency, such as pads,
tones we’re after.
Xfer’s Serum is a great wavetable synth to use for sound vocals or percussion.
If you’re still struggling for inspiration, you
design in genres like bassline
can always take signature sounds from other
genres, such as 808 sub hits, jump up DnB
bass hits or rave hoovers, and work them into Using these kinds of sounds can give a
the track alongside your own synth patches, timeless feel to your track, alongside an
either to use as the main bassline or as stabs. element of familiarity too.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 109

> the 6 best… softsynths of all time

The 6 best …
Softsynths… of all time!
Softsynths are the latest electronic music tools. Here are
Computer Music magazine’s top 6 all-time picks…

Spectrasonics Omnisphere
£339 XFer Records Serum
“If being at the cutting edge of sound design appears on
your list of music production priorities, it’s an instrument $189
that you simply have to own,” said in their review of Where every sound designer says (over and over again) that
Omnisphere. Since then, every sound designer – and they favour Omnisphere over all other synths, so every
dance music producer says they favour Serum. It has so
everyone else, for that matter – has hailed this as the
many incredible component parts – oscillators, wavetable
ultimate in synths. Take whatever audio you want, plus a engine, effects, modulation and much more – that the end
huge amount of great quality supplied material, and result could not fail to be disappointing, and it sounds
mangle it through the best engine in the biz. If there was incredible. “The most sonically versatile synth we’ve ever
a ‘top synth’ spot, this might well be on it. used, and certainly one of the best-sounding.”
spectrasonics.net xferrecords.com

u-he Diva
€179
There are many (many) virtual analogue
synths we could have included in this top 6,
and many of those emulations of hardware
classics. Instead, we’ve included possibly the
greatest virtual analogue synth ever, as it
provides parts of many a classic synth to
become a classic softsynth in its own right!
And Diva means ‘Dinosaur Impersonating
Virtual Analogue’. What more could you ask?
u-he.com

110 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 the 6 best… softsynths of all time <

KV331 Synthmaster
from $99
The multi-award-winning softsynth-to-end-all-
softsynths offers pretty much any synthesis
type you can think of (including VA, Additive,
Wavetable, PM, FM, PWM, RM, AM and more)
yet, incredibly, a pretty damn easy interface to
control everything. And it sounds incredible:
from deep basses and searing leads, to
dynamic pads and emotive atmospheres.
Quite simply, it is “one of the very finest
softsynths money can buy.”
kv331audio.com

Native Instruments
Massive
£129
The fact that the original Computer
Music review of Massive was
published in 2006 and that Massive
is still popular says it all, really. With
its morphing wavetable engine, it
was and still is capable of producing
incredibly dynamic sounds that have
become the backbone to many a
cutting-edge track. A classic, pure
and simple.
native-instruments.com

LennarDigital
Sylenth 1
€167
Never judge a synth by its presets, is
probably some way-too-sensible
advice when it comes to softsynths…
unless it’s Sylenth 1. 30 seconds after
dialling in the first sound and you
will be drawn in for hours. The best
303s, the best thumping basses, the
best tearing leads and all behind an
unassuming, easy interface.
“LennarDigital surely have one of
the underground releases of the
year on their hands,” said in
2007. Next 14 years actually…
lennardigital.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 111

> make electronic music now / synthwave

SYNTHWAVE
As modern as a neon sign illuminating the brushed steel hull of a DeLorean,
synthwave is aglow with 80s artificiality. Here’s how to surf the synth wave…
Everything old is new again. Just this once, Future, synthwave owes everything to the Commodore 64 or Amiga 500. Many of those
it’s appropriate to begin with a cliché. aesthetic of the 80s. kids would themselves become musicians,
After all, synthwave as a genre is all about So what is it? You’ve got it etched into your bringing their influences into the modern era.
clichés snatched from PG-13 movie posters memory – the pulsing synth basses of a John Thanks to the current proliferation of cheap
circa 1985. Carpenter movie or Michael Boddicker’s gear and an industry obsessed with all things
As a consciously-considered (contrived?) gloriously goofy end titles for Buckaroo Banzai – vintage, synthwave seems... inevitable.
genre, synthwave has only been around since not to mention the low-rent electronic scores to In this workshop we show you how to
the mid-2000s, but the music that inspired it has dozens of straight-to-VHS sci-fi flicks. compose a 21st century synthwave track using
been around for 40 years. Created and Game composers like Chris Huelsbeck the Plugin Suite and samples that you can
consumed by a generation weened on equal composed mini-epics for many an after-school find at filesilo.co.uk (at Bookazines/ Music
parts Blade Runner, Battle Zone and Back to the afternoon, as kids hunkered down with their Producer’s Guide To Electronic).

>Step by step 1. Building the backing tracks

TUTORIAL
FILES

The artists who created the music that Here, we’ve created a new project with Dune CM might seem modern – and it

1 inspired synthwave faced the

limitations of the day – expensive gear
with low polyphony and poor sync
options, limited track counts and fidelity.
2 the default eight tracks. (We can add
more.) We’ll start with that staple of the
80s, the arpeggiator. For this, we’ll bring in
an instance of Dune CM. In Waveform, this
3 is – but it’s got a nifty arpeggiator that
suits our needs. Look to the display, find
where it says Category and click Show All.
Select the Arpeggiated category. This
Happily, we can make use of plugins to is done by dragging the grey “+” widget filters all but the arpeggiated patches. To
provide our sounds and compose, record, down to the right-most section of the the right, you see arrows for selecting the
and mix our project in a free DAW such as track. A menu tree appears, from which desired patch. Click the right arrow until
Tracktion Waveform Free. you can select the plugin. you get to Dance Lead.

Judging from the patch name, this too You’ll be met with a few options, one Sounds good! Let’s name our track

4 seems a modern choice. However,

once you sustain a note, you’ll understand
– it seems straight out of Blade Runner!
Let’s insert a MIDI clip. In Waveform, this is
5 of which is to Insert New MIDI Clip. The
clip will then appear. Double-click your
clip’s header to open up the piano roll. Use
the arrows at the top and bottom of the
6 Dune CM Arps. We’ll add a kick drum.
Currently, our full eight bars are still
bracketed in the ruler up top. Move the
right-most bracket to bar 3. Create a new
accomplished by selecting the area in the Keyboard on the right to home in on the two-bar MIDI clip on Track 2. Next,
ruler with the blue flags and then dragging octave above C2. Next, use the Pencil tool instantiate Xils Lab StIX CM on that track.
the red ‘+’ down into it. Your clip should to draw in some long notes. We’re using Use the Load Kit browser in the upper-
stretch across eight bars. A2, G2, A2, and C3. right to load Rock Mainstream LtZ.

112 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 synthwave / make electronic music now <

SYNTHWAVE OLD AND NEW PRO TIPS

JOHN CARPENTER, MARK SHREEVE ESCAPE VELOCITY
TOMMY LEE WALLACE LEGION Some of the relentless power of those old soundtrack
ASSAULT ON Perfectly encapsulates all that tunes most assuredly comes from the fact that they
PRECINCT 13 would become synthwave a full never seem to let up – the beats are powerful,
A high point among Carpenter’s two decades later: thumping relentless rather than subtle or dynamic. Everything
many brilliant self-composed drum machines, primitive digital seems as if it was cranked full – and it probably was. In
movie scores. synths, all at a breakneck pace. those days, velocity sensitivity was a rarity. Even
expensive classics like the Oberheim DMX drum
bit.ly/jctlw_aop13 bit.ly/ms_lgn machine didn’t offer dynamics. Try eliminating velocity
modulation for a more authentic sound.
MICHAEL BODDICKER TECH NOIR
BUCKAROO BANZAI GUNSHIP VIDEO STAR
(THEME) The title tells you what to expect Synthwave fans find much to love in boxes of dusty,
The whistling leads, synth brass with this one. Simmons drums and thrift store VHS tapes. As a tape-based medium (albeit
fanfares, and analogue effects dense analogue polysynth chords a digital one), they were prone to failure, with poor
come together in a jaunty, joyful set the mood for a modern take on tracking, garbled audio, and all manner of glitching. If
theme. A euphoric anthem. the Old Wave. you have a dilapidated video recorder tucked away in
an attic, consider using it as a processor of sorts.
Record samples and play them back into your DAW or
bit.ly/mb_bckrbnz bit.ly/tn_gnshp even try mixing a song to VHS!

This kit has a pretty good kick drum. Next, open your MIDI Clip for editing In our kick drum, we created a

7 Let’s use StIX CM’s effects for lo-fi grit.

Go down to the lower-middle section and
the Disto/Crush effects. Activate them.
Now, dial the BITS to 10 and then crank the
8 and enter a very few kick drum beats.
We want it slow and steady for the intro, so
bar 1, beat 1, bar 1, beat 3 and so on. We’ve
added an extra at bar 2, beat 4. We want to
9 passable imitation of a 1980s kick
drum, but authentic retro drum sounds
are crucial to creating a proper synthwave
beat. The drum sounds of the early-80s
S. Freq (for Sampling Frequency) down to loop this clip to play over the entirety of were defined by sample-based drum
12500.00. This will simulate the lower our eight bar arpeggiator pattern. In machines like the Oberheim DMX and its
fidelity of classic drum machines like the Waveform, looping is activated by clicking sibling, the DX. We’ve hauled out the real
Linn LM-1 and Oberheim DMX. the L button in the clip header. deal for a snare loop and a tom-tom fill.

Let’s extend our existing clips for a full Next, put those awesome Oberheim Our toms provide a nice transition for

10 16 bars. In Waveform Free, you can

loop your MIDI clip in the same way you
did your kick drum audio clip. We’ll
dedicate Track 3 to our Oberheim DX
11 toms into play. Few sounds better
evoke 80s nostalgia than gritty, 8-bit tom-
toms. We’ve provided a rapid, zero-
velocity fill of the sort that punctuated
12 the entrance of our snare drums. We’ll
have another change at bar 17, beat 1, so
copy your tom-tom fill and paste another
copy in starting at bar 16, beat 1. You can
snare sound. It’s called DXSnare_120BPM. many an 80s TV program. The file is called use the snare loop’s clip handles to excise
WAV; find it among the tutorial files at DXTomFill_120 BPM and it, too, can be the bits that overlap with the tom-toms
filesilo.co.uk. It should start at bar 9, beat 1, found among the tutorials files. Bring it in just before the end of bar 16. Our track is
and loop for eight bars. to your project, beginning at bar 8, beat 1. shaping up nicely!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 113

> make electronic music now / synthwave

Know your limits > Step by step 2. Fleshing out the project
Our modern computer-based
DAWs offer virtually unlimited
power and flexibility. We can pile
on as many tracks as we like,
route them through a staggering
number of effects processors,
and chop, tweak and automate
every squeak, sputter and peep
we’ve recorded. We can nudge TUTORIAL
our vocals into perfect tune, FILES
simulate choirs and automate
every parameter with pinpoint
accuracy. Perfection and excess
are no longer unattainable, but
kind of expected.
This, however, is not the path Let’s extend the Dune CM arpeggiator We could also use a hi-hat, so drop an
to retro enlightenment. In olden
times, songs were recorded to a
limited number of tape tracks
1 loop and snare clips out to bar 25.
We’ve got the basic beat down for what
will be our intro, but we could add some
energy with a slightly busier kick drum, so
2 instance of StIX CM onto Track 5,
going to Load Kit, finding the Dance Floor
category and calling up the drum kit
named WA TR-909. Next, create an eight
and automation was all but
unheard of. Multiple tracks were let’s add another MIDI clip on Track 2, at bar MIDI clip with three eighth notes at the
bar 17, beat 1. We’ll go ahead and loop this start of each bar.
often routed to a single effect –
new clip over eight bars.
not the other way around. Even
the finest studios would offer
artists a finite number of
compressors, reverbs, delays,
and EQs. If a performer made a
mistake, the performance would
have to be attempted again –
often in its entirety.
The wise synthwave artist
exploits modern technology, but
is never seduced by its excesses.
Limit your track counts, effects
processors, and perhaps even the
number of synths and samplers
you have in play.

For an authentic retro pad, we will look Bring in a second instance of Dune CM

3 to u-he’s Zebra CM, which can be

instantiated on Track 6. Having done so,
we’ll call up the preset from rsmus7 called
SM Stringer and lay down a simple
4 on Track 7. Go to the Bass preset
category and find the patch called
Hardcastle Bass RL. Once again, this might
seem a little anachronistic, but the sound
progression consisting of just root notes will work for us. Create a clip with some
of our arpeggiated passage on Track 1. rapid fire, octave jumping notes.

> Step by step 3. Additions and embellishments

TUTORIAL
FILES

Call up an instance of Alpha CM on We’ll need a raucous lead sound that An old-school handclap wouldn’t go

1 Track 8, and find the preset patch

called BRS-Classic-TEG. Record an eight-
bar clip at bar 17, consisting of root notes
and perfect fifths (remembering that our
2 can cut through our dense mix, so
create a new track and drag an instance of
Zebra CM in. Find the preset patch called
TUC Fat PolyKeys (VST). This is a cutting,
3 amiss, so stick another instance of StIX
CM on a new track, and dial up the preset
kit called WA TR 808. Go ahead and record
or draw in a few bars with a handclap on
arpeggiator track modulates from key to brassy sound. Perfect! Jam out a simple the backbeat. You might consider creating
key). It might be easiest to mute a couple lead or copy the one shown here. a fill clip, too.
of tracks while recording.

114 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 synthwave / make electronic music now <

> Step by step 4. Arranging, mixing and effects

TUTORIAL
FILES

It’s time to take a step back and Move your clips about, copy them, It’s a pretty good arrangement, and

1 consider our arrangement. Zoom out

to take in all of the various bits that make
up your track. Let’s collect the like tracks
together – drums all at the top, followed by
2 paste them and loop them until you
have a nice build-up of the various parts.
Here, we’ve got a slow build, a respite, and
then a climactic end section with our lead
3 our sounds are suitably retro. The
snare might need a touch of 1980-era
processing, though. Solo and loop the
track. Let’s grab an instance of Acon
arpeggiator tracks, followed by pads and in place. We’ve also added another slightly Digital’s CM Verb and put it directly on our
then the lead. Unmute any muted tracks. busier hi-hat clip at bar 57. snare’s track. The Medium Hall preset will
suit our needs rather nicely.

You probably know what’s coming Let’s start working on our mix. We’ll Once you’ve got your relative levels

4 next! Yep, we’re going to strap a gate

plugin across the reverb. We’ll use
Unfiltered Audio’s G8 CM. The various
parameters need to be set carefully to
5 begin by setting up the loop markers
to cycle the busiest parts of the track. We’ll
then pull all of our faders down to nil.
Bring the levels in one at a time starting
6 set close to where you’d like ’em, go
ahead and start tweaking the pan
positions of the drum tracks. Just a bit,
don’t get crazy! You can, of course, go
avoid stuttering, paying careful attention with the kick drum, snare and arpeggiator much further than we have here, so don’t
to both the Threshold level and the Hold tracks. Give yourself plenty of headroom. be afraid to experiment with more
time for a perfect gated ‘verb sound. instruments and effects.

POWER TIP
De-rez
Given the subject title, you’d be forgiven for
> Chomping at
thinking we’re going to talk about Tron. Nope. the bit
Instead we need to discuss yet another aspect
of modern technology that might best be We’ve already discussed the
limitations of the ancient samplers
avoided if we’re going to go full-on retro. The
and you already know you can
subject up for consideration is audio fidelity. In apply a bit crusher to your sounds
the days when laser discs and Walkmen The E-mu Systems Emulator: lots of cash back in the day for some retro grit. However, you
roamed the Earth, sampling was in its infancy. might consider going a step further
Early samplers were breathtakingly expensive RAM was costly, samplers of that era offered by calling upon the real deal. No,
and offered bit depths and sample resolution limited sample time. If the composer ever we’re not suggesting you splash
that seems laughable by today’s standards. wanted more sample time, the available out for some overpriced collector’s
For instance, the original Emulator offered sample rate might be dropped down, further item! Instead, consider scouring
the local thrift stores and boot sales
eight voices of 8-bit, 21kHz sampling for reducing fidelity.
for a cheap toy sampler such as
£8,050. Yeah. Nearly every modern sampler or DAW those made by Casio or Yamaha.
Nevertheless, this was the sort of offers some manner of bit-crushing, allowing They’re cheap, easy to use, and can
equipment used to create chart-topping hits you to impart some of that vintage vibe to add loads of exaggerated lo-fi
and blockbuster movie soundtracks. Because your drum hits and dialogue samples. character to your sounds.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 115

 TAKE YOUR ARRANGEMENTS
TO THE NEXT LEVEL
We’ve cherry-picked the finest tutorial features from the pages of Computer Music
and Future Music – each guide created specifically for the computer-based
producer – to bring you this compendium of music theory knowledge.

ON SALE
NOW

Ordering is easy. Go online at:

Or get it from selected supermarkets & newsagents

 intro / classic gear <

Classic Gear
Over the next dozen pages, we look at
some of the classic hardware synths that
have shaped the sound of Electronic
Music over the last five decades. Many
of them have become so collectable
that they now command almost
extortionate second-hand prices. With
this in mind, for each of our classics we
also offer three more cost-effective
alternatives, including software plugins
available for Mac or PC and, where
possible, iOS emulations…

118 Moog Modular 124 Fairlight CMI

The modular synth from the company that Not so much a synth but a full sampling
started it all workstation, this brought the processing of
audio to, well, just the rich few actually
119 ARP 2600
Another US classic synth, and one of the first 125 Roland Jupiter-8
more ‘manageable’ synths Probably Roland’s finest ever synth, and one
of the best polysynths ever produced
120 Moog Minimoog
The synth that launched a thousand 126 Roland SH-101
Kraftwerks (and emulation plugins!) Another classic Roland, this one is a great
mono, and one you can actually wear!
121 ARP Odyssey
ARP’s answer to the Minimoog was (and is) 127 Yamaha DX7
a screaming synthetic delight One of just two purely digital synths in this
roundup, the DX7 shifted millions but was
122 Yamaha CS-80 only mastered by one (or indeed, Eno)
Yamaha’s incredible CS-80 is most widely
regarded as the best synth ever (and by 128 Roland Juno-106
some as scoring the best film ever) The third Roland on our roundup is from the
company’s glorious Juno range
123 Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
One of the best polysynths of its time is now 129 Korg M1
– like other synths in this roundup – being Another digital synth that shifted by the
produced again million, the M1 also launched a genre or two
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 117
> make electronic music now / classic gear

Moog Modular
What better way to introduce our Classic Gear
section in this Electronic Music guide than with the
synth that started it all: the Moog Modular?

Robert Moog didn’t create the first TECH SPECS

synthesiser; nor was his modular system Year of manufacture
the only game in town when it was unleashed 1964 – 1981
on the public back in 1964. Yet it was Moog’s Original sale value
Modular system that would become Systems: $2000 - $10,000
associated with synthesisers in the public Modules: $100 - $1300
mind. Why? Well, for a start, Moog’s Number made
instrument – as complicated as it was – was Unknown
designed to be used by musicians.
Simply put, Moog listened. When Vladimir
Ussachevsky proposed the four-stage ADSR
envelope, Moog listened; when Wendy Carlos covered portable cabinets.
offered up suggestions on how to improve Modules were connected
performance, Moog listened. In fact, the entire with patch cables. There
endeavour was kickstarted when Moog met were (initially unstable)
composer Herbert Deutsch in 1963. It was oscillators, sequencers,
Deutsch who suggested using a simple organ- envelope generators and
style keyboard to control the instrument. This amplifiers, mixers and that
single addition gave this mind-bogglingly now-ubiquitous 24dB low-
complex Moog system something with which pass filter. If any feature
any musician could identify: it made it clear that defines the ‘Moog sound’, it’s
this was a musical instrument, despite the fact that filter, with its zippy resonance and ability to idea into the modern age, with deep modular
that it looked like something out of a mad self-oscillate – it’s unmistakable and, seemingly, environments that bear more resemblance to
scientist’s laboratory. quite difficult to emulate precisely. programming languages.
Additionally, many of Moog’s design Needless to say, the ‘Moog sound’ has been Most of us will have to settle for the copies.
flourishes have become standards. His use of something of a holy grail to soft synth Moog’s Modular systems have become highly
voltage control and the introduction of the volts- developers, some of whom have been more prized collectors’ items, with even small systems
per-octave pitch control are now predominant in successful than others in capturing that elusive selling for astronomical prices. However, Moog
analogue synth design. Voltage control allows character. Those wishing to recreate the did start manufacturing the Modular again, the
one to modulate parameters like filter frequency experience of using a Moog Modular system can IIIp being the new incarnation, yet only 40 were
or pitch from various sources, such as an LFO or turn to the many hardware modular systems built at a price of $30k plus. If you’re lucky
envelope generator – a method of sound design currently on the market or even to software enough to be able to afford one, or the original,
that still informs the way synthesisers are made. modular synths. Some recreate the experience you’ll be getting a piece of musical history.
Moog’s system consisted of around 70 in full, with dangling patch cables and pixel- Previous owners include Tangerine Dream,
modules, housed in walnut cabinets or Tolex- perfect faux wood cabinetry; others take the Klaus Schulze, The Beatles and The Stones.

Three great emulations

ARTURIA MODULAR V OGO KARMAFX SYNTH MOOG MODULAR 15

€149 €76 £29.99
This one will get you as close as possible to the Not an emulation of the Moog system, nor a Moog might well have reintroduced the
experience of using the original, with its dead- graphical language-style modular, this one lies Modular in hardware form, but it’s still mighty
on interface and full complement of modules somewhere in between, with a comprehensive rare and way too expensive for most, so why
patterned after the real thing. Initially, the collection of modules including a terrific filter not try this 30-quid app instead? It’s been
Modular V was blessed by Dr Robert Moog with Moog-style low-pass mode. Virtual patch developed by Moog and is one of the best
himself, and the famous Moog logo took pride cables are used but don’t obscure the Modular experiences you can have with any
of place on the GUI. The sequencer module is modules’ controls. An excellent tool for device, with many great presets, effects and
particularly nice. education and creativity. fantastic touch routing.
arturia.com karmafx.net moog.com

118 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 classic gear / make electronic music now <

ARP 2600
Released alongside the Minimoog
and EMS’ VCS3, the ARP 2600
offered portability, patchability
and something the competition
simply couldn’t match

Named after founder Alan R Pearlman,

ARP was the ‘other’ big name in American
synthesisers in the hurly-burly early years of
commercial synths. Founded not by an
enthusiast but an entrepreneur, ARP
instruments were designed from the start to approach to the question of patching on their TECH SPECS
batter (and better) the already-shaky new portable powerhouses. EMS used a pin Year of manufacture
reputations of the instruments from rival matrix to make patch connections, while Moog 1970 - 1981
companies, stealing away much of their sales eschewed patchability entirely for a fixed signal Original sale value
through shrewd (and sometimes unseemly) path. The 2600 came down in the middle: there £1350
business practices. was a fixed path under the hood, but the signal Current price
Prior to 1970, synthesisers were expensive, could be rerouted by plugging cables into the £4000 - £6500
expansive modular behemoths better suited to vast array of 1/8" jacks that peppered the Number made
Approximately 3000
studios or the halls of academia. Such a instrument’s front panel.
customer base was necessarily limited, and the Like the other soon-to-be-classics on show,
major players knew that the survival of the the 2600 offered three oscillators with various
fledgling synth market depended on getting this typical waveforms on tap. There was a distinct model – and for good reason, as it turned out,
new technology into the hands of performing difference here, though, in that the 2600’s for the ARP 4012 filter design was pretty much a
musicians. Few musos were willing to drag a oscillators were relatively stable in pitch – 1:1 copy! Moog got wind of the similarity and
modular monster onto the tour circuit. something that Moog and EMS simply couldn’t soon put a stop to it. Later, the 2600 would sport
match. ARP knew this, and its advertisements a different filter, adding yet another variable to
ARP attack took pot shots at the competition. The new ARP please and perturb modern collectors.
Making its initial splash at the AES convention instrument trumped the competition in other
held in the Autumn of 1970, the 2600 was – like ways, too. For instance, though all three Synthetic history
Moog’s new Minimoog and EMS’ VCS3, both debuting synths provided noise generators, the Everything that made the 2600 a brilliant
debuting at the same show – meant to usher in 2600 offered sample-and-hold circuitry, making instrument in 1970 stands today: good sound,
an era of portability. All three offered stripped- it terrific for space-age bleeps and bloops. comprehensive features, and flexibility that
down, simplified versions of much larger With both ADSR and AR envelopes and a educates rather than overwhelms. Relatively
modular systems (the ARP 2500, Moog’s built-in reverb tank, the 2600 was beautifully few were made, and with secondhand unit
legendary Modular systems and EMS’ main-man outfitted, even by today’s standards. Its prices sky high, it was only a matter of time
Peter Zinovieff’s own personal electronic music oscillators were rich and precise, while its filter before new hardware recreations surfaced, and
studio). Each manufacturer took a different could hold its own with Moog’s famous 24dB you can now buy Korg and Behringer models.

Three great emulations

ARTURIA ARP 2600V WAY OUT WARE TIMEWARP 2600 VOLTKITCHEN ARPPE2600VA
€149 $99 FREE
Featuring a closely-modeled recreation How close to the original do you need a Dispensing with virtual cables, this recreation
of the original 2600, along with a choice plugin to be? When we first heard Way Out of the awesome ARP makes use of a drop-
of GUIs to match each change in the Ware’s dead-on Mac/PC emulation, we were a down modulation matrix to perform all of its
appearance of the hardware, Arturia throw in a little put off by the basic, raw sound of the routing duties. It allows for the creation of
model of the modular ARP 2500 filter, chorus factory presets. Yet it can’t be denied that this precisely the sort of weird, modulated effects
and delay, and an emulation of the 1601 is exactly what you’d get if you’d shelled out that made the original a favourite among
sequencer, along with all of the other perks of for the real hardware. It’s a great emulation sound designers. Available only to Windows
virtual synths. and now at a much more reasonable price. users in 32-bit.
arturia.com wayoutware.com glenstegner.com/softsynths.html

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 119

> make electronic music now / classic gear

Moog
Minimoog
Your plugins folder is probably filled
with synths that owe their design to
this classic that impacted both music
and our understanding of synthesis
Moog. At one time, the name was quite
literally synonymous with ‘synthesiser’.
Moog (rhymes with vogue) was among the
first on the scene with purpose-built
synthesis modules.
Its modular synthesisers appeared on albums
by artists ranging from The Beatles to The
Monkees and, of course, Wendy Carlos’ musicians longing for something new. It was
groundbreaking Switched On Bach. Yet the cost really they who sold the Mini to the masses with TECH SPECS
and complexity reserved the luxury of synthesis innovative performances and recordings. Years produced
for universities, studios and the wealthiest Rockers like Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and 1970 - 1981
musicians. Had it not been for a simple, Gary Wright paved the way before passing the Number produced
baton to Gary Numan, who turned a new 12,000+
seemingly obvious innovation, the Moog sound
Original sale value
might have been little more than a cultural generation onto the ‘Moog Sound’.
$1495
curiosity of a bygone era, not the seminal sonic
Current price
signature that resonates even 50 years later. Sonic legend $6000 - $9500
The sound comes courtesy of a trio of versatile (early models)
Mother of invention (if initially unstable) oscillators and that famous
That innovation was the Minimoog. Initially 24dB resonant filter, along with just enough
cobbled together from individual modules controls to wrangle out interesting sounds time
and parts scavenged from the junk bin, this and again without being overwhelmed by a sea emulation – actually an impossible task, given
instrument saw patch cables give way to a of knobs and jargon. There’s noise, yes, but no that no two Minis sound exactly alike.
fixed, hard-wired signal path and, after a few sample-and-hold circuit. Envelopes are simple The synth’s clear and easy-to-follow layout –
iterations, this flight of fancy took the familiar three-stage affairs. There is portamento and an oscillators on the left, mixer then filter to the
form of the Minimoog Model D. audio input around back – mostly used to feed right and envelopes below – has also become an
The Minimoog turned the industry on its ear. the instrument’s signal back into itself. industry standard. A simple, even elegant
Not overnight, mind – sales were difficult. There Yet this is more than enough, thanks to the design, the influence of the Minimoog’s signal
was no precedent for this sort of instrument, instrument’s full, lively sound. The defining ‘fat’ path, front panel layout and left-handed control
and music retailers had no idea what to do with bass, screaming leads and swooping effects wheels can be seen on nearly every synth since.
it. However, thanks to the efforts of Moog’s have drawn in synth aficionados and software Moog has started remaking the Model D
David Van Koevering, the Mini slowly began to developers alike, the latter fuelled by the although it too has become rare. Grab one if you
make its way into the hands of enterprising demands of the former to create a spot-on can find it, and you’ll have a true synth classic.

Three great emulations

GFORCE MINIMONSTA MOOG MODEL D APP ARTURIA iMINI APP

£120 £9.99 £9.99
Winning over analogue enthusiasts takes As with the Modular, Moog have not only After earning Bob Moog’s endorsement for
some doing, but this one convinced even Rick restarted manufacturing the original their desktop plugin emulations of Moogs both
Wakeman himself. GForce didn’t just recreate hardware, they’ve also produced an app for us Modular and Mini, Arturia pared some surface
the character of the Minimoog, but a very mere mortals. This one, as Moog say, features from their Model D clone and
specific Minimoog with quirks and qualities, “incorporates a number of inspiring sound produced this app, one of the first synths for
resulting in an instrument that is as eminently creation tools and capabilities not present on iOS devices when it was released. Moog’s own
playable as the original. Simply gorgeous, as its analog antecedent”, those including 4-note version eclipses it somewhat, but if you can get
are the company’s other emulations polyphony and an arpeggiator. it cheaper than a tenner, it’s worth a punt..
gforcesoftware.com moog.com arturia.com

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ARP Odyssey
It’s alive! ARP’s answer to
the Minimoog refuses to be
consigned to the history books,
revived for the modern age in
both hard and soft incarnations

Budding synthesists had few options back

in ’72. Massive modular synthesisers had
been around for a while but were expensive
and cumbersome, less suited to the stage
than they were to the studio.
EMS’ VCS3 was small but unstable, and ARP’s
2600 – with its patch cables and separate
keyboard – was less immediate than the
reigning king of the road, the Minimoog, the present, they could be far more complex. If it
only truly portable all-in-one option. Until, that had any drawbacks, it was that it lacked the
is, the ARP Odyssey. This wedge-shaped wonder left-hand controllers – no mod or pitch wheels.
was lighter than the Minimoog, yet offered far Pitchbend was provided by a simple TECH SPECS
more bells and whistles with which to craft potentiometer, later replaced by ARP’s own Year of manufacture
one’s, er, bells and whistles. More than that, the Proportional Pitch Control (PPC) pad, a bit of 1972-1980
Oddy’s dual oscillators gave musicians rock- pressure-sensitive rubber that seemed to Original sale value
solid tuning stability, along with a suspiciously confirm that ARP were simply trying to be… £1250
familiar-sounding 24dB resonant low-pass filter, well, not Moog. In addition, the sliders were not Current price
high-pass filter, FM, oscillator sync, ring exactly the most precise means by which to dial £2300-£3300
modulation, dual envelope generators (AR and in a sound – and they have aged horribly, Number made
Approximately 3000
ADSR) and a noise generator that could produce becoming scratchy and jumpy.
sample and hold effects. Flexible and powerful, There were a number of variants of the
the Odyssey’s panel was relatively immediate, Odyssey across its eight-year production run.
with colourfully capped sliders providing a Early models were white, replaced by black and few of the former, supplanted by Devo, Ultravox
supremely tweakable interface. gold models in the mid-period, and finally, black and Numan in the latter camp.
It was, to be sure, far more capable than and orange. Today’s would-be Odysseans can avail
Moog’s mighty Mini, even if it lacked that The Odyssey was embraced by two themselves of a handful of software emulations,
beefy third oscillator (the Odyssey’s LFO generations of musicians: the proggers and one of which – GForce’s Oddity – has been hailed
was a dedicated job). Its basses might not have rockers of the early 1970s loved them almost as by users of the real deal. If that isn’t enough,
been as burly, but they were sharp, tight and much as the new wavers of the 1980s. Edgar Korg now have a number of different sized
punchy. And if the leads weren’t quite as Winter, Tony Banks and Joe Zawinul are but a hardware versions starting at £549.

Three great emulations

GFORCE ODDITY 2 ELEKTROSTUDIO ODSAY KORG ODDYSEI

£100 FREE $29.99
A stunning recreation from the folks behind If you don’t have the cash for Oddity Not only have Korg teamed up with original
impOSCar, the Oddity has all of the features of (and assuming you’re on Windows), you ARP designers to reproduce the synth
the original, plus modern niceties such as can avail yourself of the SynthEdit-based hardware, they’ve transferred some of that
patch storage and recall, preset morphing, and ODSay, a spiffy Odyssey clone from expertise over to the iOS platform. Oddysei
host-syncable LFO. Flying Sliders allow you to Elektrostudio. Good sound, the right uses Korg’s proprietary CMT (Component
grab one or more sliders and throw ’em, features and a nice GUI make this one a bargain Modeling Technology) to reproduce all the
recording the results. A brilliant clone at twice the price! However, it is only 32-bit squeals and texture of the original, with a
embraced by users of the real thing. so an old PC or bridge is required. beautiful touch workflow.
gforcesoftware.com plugins4free.com korg.com

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> make electronic music now / classic gear

Yamaha
CS-80
It may not have been the most
popular or beloved of the classic
polysynths, but Yamaha’s wild and
wooly CS-80 was nevertheless a
heavyweight champion

Polyphony was something of a holy grail beneath, with a trap door concealing Yamaha’s
for the synth makers of the late 70s. answer to patch recall: four nearly-complete TECH SPECS
Weened on a meagre diet of monosynths for miniature copies of the front panel. 22 colourful Year of manufacture
nearly a decade, synthesists longed for a switches allow access to presets, including an 1976-1980
workable way to play polyphonically – that is, instantly recognisable brass sound. Original sale value
with chords. Sure, there were a few string For the serious synthesist, the CS-80 offered £4950
machines, but these were paraphonic, two complete and independent signal paths, Current price
£25,000+
employing octave dividers to produce each consisting of an oscillator routed into a pair
Number made
multiple pitches and then simply running the of filters (one low-pass, one high-pass) and ADSR Approximately 2000
lot through a single filter and VCA. envelopes. You could create two completely
For many, Sequential Circuits’ Prophet-5 different patches, one layered on another.
(opposite) was the answer to their polyphonic Thanks to a staggeringly complete set of
prayers, with five-voice polyphony and instant performance features, even the presets could be
recall of user patches. It received a lot of tailored. Polyphonic aftertouch responded in a most notoriously cantankerous synthesiser ever
attention in the press and graced many a stage. natural, musical way to the player’s pressure on made. It went out of tune when transported, or
Yet Yamaha had been there first. Let loose in the keys. Oh, and the keys were velocity- when the temperature changed – and it changed
1976, the bulky, garish CS-80 was the antithesis sensitive to boot. It’s a keyboard that has rarely every time you turned the thing on! Though
of Sequential’s Prophet. A huge Tolex-covered been bettered and proved to be a major selling many famous players hauled ’em out on tour,
enclosure housed a front panel festooned with point to players desiring more than the limited the wisest CS-80 owner left it safely at home in a
brightly-coloured rocker switches and paddle note on/off of other synths. temperature-controlled studio. Thankfully, the
levers that looked as if they’d been pulled from And then there’s the ribbon controller, few virtual incarnations alleviate this most
one of the company’s home organs. One of our spanning over half the length of the keyboard, troublesome aspect of the mighty CS.
own writers once passed on a CS in a shop allowing you to, say, touch the felt ribbon near What does it sound like? Think Vangelis’
thinking that was precisely what it was! This the top and swoop down the whole length of the Blade Runner and you’ve got a pretty good idea.
impression was made stronger by the chrome thing, taking your oscillators’ pitch with you. Other users included Eddie Jobson (Alaska),
legs that support its 100kg bulk. Mind you, the oscillators might just do that Jean-Michel Jarre, Toto (on Africa and Rosanna),
A closer look reveals the power lurking entirely on their own – the CS-80 may be the and Ultravox.

Three expressive CS-80 emulations

ARTURIA CS-80V MEMORYMOON ME80 MA LORD CeEs80

$149 $40 FREE
One of Arturia’s earliest emulations, the One of the few commercial competitors to Reaktor users can get a taste of the CS-80
CS-80V (VST/AU/AAX) has matured into a Arturia’s CS-80V, Memorymoon’s ME80 offers experience with this early recreation found in
superb package with plenty of extras to bring all of the features of the original. It was initially the Reaktor User Library. It may not have
more power into play, including a superb built with SynthEdit but has since graduated to faux wooden panels or rocker switches,
modulation matrix that offers 13 sources and a full 64-bit native code for both Windows and but it does recreate the entire signal path
whopping 38 destinations. Chorus, tremolo Mac users. If you happen to own Acoustica’s of Yamaha’s legendary synth, making it a cinch
and delay effects have been added, as has an Mixcraft Pro, you already have this beauty in to create some of the sounds made famous by
arpeggiator. A powerhouse performer. your plugins folder. the real deal.
arturia.com memorymoon.com bit.ly/CeEs80

122 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

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Sequential
Circuits
Prophet-5
Polyphony and programmability
were virtually unheard of when
Dave Smith and co unleashed
an instrument that would help
TECH SPECS
define the early 80s Years produced
1978-1984
Number produced
Approximately 8000
We computer musicians are positively complete, individual signal paths hiding under
Original sale value
spoiled for options. Our synths offer its stylish black panel. More than that, the £2845
effectively unlimited voices and instances, instrument was, indeed, fully programmable. Current price
and we enjoy total recall of each and every Every knob, switch and setting could be saved £3800-£4500
knob, slider and button. Yet there was a time and recalled, making it a sure winner with live
when monophonic instruments were pretty performers and sessioneers alike.
much all we had, and full programmability of Racking up massive sales (and seemingly like a lot, but it gave P-5 owners abilities that
patches was the stuff of dreams. Sure, there perennially on back-order), the Prophet-5 was were hard to come by outside of modular
were some attempts to offer more – the synthesiser to own – that is, if you could systems at the time. Add to this the raw power of
Oberheim’s Two, Four and Eight Voice synths afford it. Those five voices didn’t come cheap, those five voices in unison mode and you had a
had polyphony (assuming you were able to with a sticker price of nearly £3000, but that sound fit to fill an arena. Even the later (and
match up the parameter settings of an entire didn’t stop the company from shipping out reputedly ‘thinner’) Rev 3 models had a sound
SEM module for each voice), and Yamaha’s 8000 of the things, and virtually everyone who that could peel the enamel off your back teeth.
contemporaneous CS-60 and CS-80 was anyone had one: Gary Numan, The Cars’ Today, our plugins folders are stuffed with
synthesisers were somewhat programmable Greg Hawkes, Phil Collins, Vangelis, John instruments that offer as much or more than
– but by and large, extremely limited mono Carpenter… The list goes on and on. the dear old Prophet-5, some even directly
instruments were the norm. influenced by its designs. There are, of course, 1:1
Fortunately, American Dave Smith was Double header emulations (see below) if you want the
working on something that could solve both Of course, the luxuries of programmability and experience of the real deal and, like the original,
problems, and that instrument would become polyphony wouldn’t have been worth more they make versatile all-rounders.
an unprecedented success. His company was than a look-in had the thing not sounded good. Dave Smith’s brainchild seemed to hit exactly
called Sequential Circuits, and the instrument But that it did – superb, in fact, thanks to dual the right balance between flexibility and
was the Prophet-5. Released in 1978, the oscillators, a 24dB resonant filter, an LFO and a friendliness, and it’s still an excellent template
Prophet-5 offered five complete voices of true wicked poly-mod section that enabled Oscillator today. No surprise, then, that Dave, under the
polyphony – not the divide-down paraphonic B or the filter envelope to be routed to the Sequential name that he now owns again, has
behaviour of string machines or Moog’s frequency and/or pulse width of Oscillator A, as started remaking the Prophet-5 which you can
Polymoog. No, the Prophet’s voices had well as to the filter itself. That might not sound get for around £3000.

Three great emulations

ARTURIA PROPHET-V MEMORYMOON MESSIAH ARTURIA IPROPHET

€149 $40 £9.99
The aces of analogue emulation had already Like Arturia’s Prophet-V, Memorymoon’s Arturia get their second entry on this page
cloned Moogs, ARPs and more when they Messiah is much more than an emulation. It with a Prophet app. iProphet includes
unleashed the Prophet-V. An uncannily looks like a souped-up Prophet-5, sure, but a modern flourishes like a vector screen for
accurate imitation of the Prophet-5, it also handful of buttons swap the vintage panel mixing parameters, effects and a flexible and
includes a dead-ringer for Sequential Circuits’ and keyboard for various modern niceties detailed modulation matrix area. It could do
later Prophet, the digital Prophet-VS, and like an arpeggiator, graphic envelopes and with AU3 support in the next update, but at
even allows elements of the two to be advanced LFOs. The oscillators also include less than a tenner for some incredible vintage
combined. A lovely tribute to Smith’s work. enhanced options. Prophet sounds, it’s a great buy.
arturia.com memorymoon.com arturia.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 123

> make electronic music now / classic gear

Fairlight CMI
A trio of intrepid Australians set out
to create a digital synthesiser but
ended up with an entirely different
instrument – one that changed
music forever

It’s impossible to overstate the enormous ‘Computer Musical Instrument’ to market.

impact of sampling, and hard to imagine a They’d already taken pre-orders before they
world without it. At the start of it all, there realised that a last minute circuit re-jig would
was the Fairlight CMI. The Fairlight wasn’t the allow for rudimentary sampling. This in turn
first device capable of recording and playing prompted a complete overhaul of the whole
back a digital sample (Publison’s popular thing, this time focusing on the instrument’s
DHM 89 B2 sampling delay processor hit the new 8-bit sampling capability.
streets in 1978, with the Fairlight following in The now-iconic multicomponent Fairlight
1979), but it was the first to offer a polyphonic, CMI system finally saw the light of day at the TECH SPECS
keyboard-based interface. end of 1979, just in time for the technology- Year of manufacture
In what has become something of a legendary obsessed 80s. It was the perfect match for the 1979-1988
tale, sampling was, in fact, only added to the decade to come, with its sleek ivory cabinetry, Original sale value
Fairlight’s repertoire at the last moment. Initially, rakishly-angled CRT terminal and the ever- $25,000+
it was intended as an eight-voice digital synth present light-pen. Current price
with customisable waveforms that could be However, such bleeding-edge tech came at a New, £14,500;
drawn on a CRT screen with a futuristic-looking cost. Fairlight systems started at $25,000 with Original, $6,000+
light-pen. Designed by Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, some configurations costing as much as $175k!
the Fairlight used digital technology licensed Needless to say, only hitmakers could afford the
from Creative Strategies’ Tony Furse, who’d spent things, ensuring that the Fairlight’s distinctive thanks to other manufacturers, eager to
years designing a digital synthesiser for the sound would be imprinted on the popular music capitalise on the Fairlight’s Brave New Sound.
Canberra School of Music. Furse’s synth was the of the day. Users such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Most people carry more powerful computers
Qasar M8, a massive, hand-wired black box Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Jan Hammer, The in their pockets than the boys at Fairlight could
measuring four feet across and a foot-and-a-half Cars, David Bowie and Herbie Hancock exploited ever have dreamed of – yet as we gaze out over
in height, and stuffed with 20 8" x 8" circuit the instrument’s then-novel sampled sounds as our desktop DAW with its attached QWERTY
boards plus a fan to keep its 64KB of RAM cool. well as its real-time ‘Page R’ sequencer. keyboard and MIDI controller, we can’t help but
Though Fairlight was founded in 1975, it The rest of us could only dream of sampling chuckle at its vague resemblance to the sampler
would take years for Ryrie and Vogel to get their until the price came down, which it finally did that started it all.

Three ways to get a Fairlight copy

PETER VOGEL INSTRUMENTS CMI UVI DARKLIGHT IIX ARTURIA CMI V

$50 $74 €149
Everything old is new again and you can, as it UVI have recreated the Fairlight as a software Classic keyboard? Then you can bet your
happens, (possibly) buy an actual new sampler for the modern desktop DAW, bottom Euro that Arturia will have produced a
Fairlight CMI from Peter Vogel’s new company providing a whopping 2.34 GB library of fabulous emulation of it. And sure enough,
for the princely sum of just under £14,500. If samples that can be played through one of with a recent V Collection update, the
you don’t have that lying around, you can grab three virtual instruments bearing the familiar Grenoble-based company released this
this version for iOS. It features a recreation of Fairlight colour scheme. Synthesis and cracking emulation of the original Fairlight
the Page R sequencer and the entire Fairlight drum/phrase sequencing are included, as are that includes presets and many workstation
CMI IIX sound library (over 500 “voices”). modelled filters, LFOs, envelopes and effects. and synth flourishes.
petervogelinstruments.com uvi.net arturia.com

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TECH SPECS
Year of manufacture
1981-1984

Roland Jupiter-8 Original sale value

£3999
Current price
£10000+
A lumbering behemoth, Roland’s answer to the Prophet-5 became Number made
approx. 2000
a classic in its own right, helping to define the sound of the 80s

There’s no doubting Roland’s place in the polyphonic synth perfection. high-pass filter into the works for good measure.
history of Electronic Music. Just their Roland’s first volley in the war of polyphony 64 preset slots and eight combination slots
TB-303 Bassline synth alone – discussed was launched in 1978. Dubbed the Jupiter-4, it made the Jupiter-8 an ideal tour companion
elsewhere in this book – launched dance was relatively limited compared to the (even if the poor tuning stability of the earliest
music (as helped by the company’s TR-808 Sequential Circuits and Oberheims leading the models did not), and many a big name hauled
and 909 drum machines), and we’ve included charge. Though it cost far less than those the beast to stage and studio. Devout users
other synth models from the mighty instruments, it was quite expensive for a four- included Greg Hawkes of the Cars, Tangerine
Japanese manufacturer in this roundup. voice, single-oscillator instrument, and sales Dream (natch!), Bryan Ferry, Thomas Dolby,
However, the prize for ‘best Roland synth’ were less than stellar. Rush, Barry Andrews (Shriekback), and Ron
must surely go to their Jupiter-8. It would take Roland three years to offer Mael of Sparks. Michael Boddicker
Fortunately, with all Roland classic gear, you musicians a truly viable alternative to the likes of slathered JP-8 textures all over Michael
can now get a flavour of it by way of the the Prophet-5. With eight dual-oscillator voices Jackson’s Thriller.
company’s Roland Cloud platform, which is just and sounds that could be split and layered across The sound of the Jupiter-8 was the epitome
as well, as buying the real thing secondhand is the keyboard, the Jupiter-8 had the voice count of ‘analogue mojo’, and it’s nigh on impossible to
now becoming an expensive pastime. (Roland’s of a fully loaded Oberheim OB-Xa and was clearly precisely reproduce. This accounts somewhat
Cloud is a subscription service, for which you positioned to compete with the Americans. for the insane prices commanded by
get many emulations of the company’s synths The JP-8’s architecture was not unlike that of secondhand units. Just as they did 30 years ago,
and drum machines as software plugins, and its Yankee cousins, with dual oscillators offering those who want a bit of Roland magic for less
you can now also buy each one individually.) triangle, pulse, square, and sawtooth waveforms money often make do with one of Roland’s
The Jupiter-8 is a synth that is now seen as (and noise for oscillator 2), plus an LFO, a many follow-ups and spin-offs from the Jupiter
one of Roland’s crowning achievements. resonant low-pass filter (that, like the one on the line. The rest of us can look to samples and the
Though relatively few units were sold at the time OB-Xa, could be switched between 12 and 24dB) many virtual polysynths (below) inspired by the
it was produced in the early eighties, the JP-8 and a pair of four-stage envelope generators. As mighty Jovian Giant or opt, as we said earlier, for
has since come to exemplify the pinnacle of Roland often did, they stuck a non-resonant a flight around the Roland Cloud.

Three plugin Jupiters

ROLAND CLOUD ARTURIA JUP-8V GTG K1 POLYSYNTH

$30/MONTH $149 FREE
Roland have attempted to bottle the essence As with previous Arturia clones, the pedigree With such a rich heritage, it’s no surprise that
of the Jupiter-8 a few times – ok, many times – of this Jupiter-8 emulation is now being thinly Roland are quite pernickety when it comes to
over the years, always tied to a hardware disguised. Don’t let the truncated name and protecting their intellectual property, so few
interface. Their most recent recreation comes absence of Roland’s logo (or indeed any developers bother to create obvious Jupiter-8
in the form of a VST/AU plugin available mention of the Japanese company) fool you clones. Still, there are a few plugins that have
through their Roland Cloud subscription – this cross-platform plugin has all of the clearly been inspired by the JP-8, and this little
service and integrates with – but does not features that made the Jupiter-8 a pleasure Windows gem is one of them. Added delay and
require – their System-8 Plug-out hardware. to patch and play. chorus beef up the sound.
rolandcloud.com arturia.com vst4free.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 125

> make electronic music now / classic gear

Roland SH-101
It may have been one of the last
of the original monosynths, but
this quirky analogue instrument
gave competing digital synths a
run for their money

The year was 1982. New Wave was oscillator, one of the highlights was Roland’s
overplayed and the MTV era of neon and piercing yet smooth low-pass filter. Also notable,
TECH SPECS
hairspray had officially begun. Synthesisers the user was not restricted to selecting a single Year of manufacture
1982-1984
were hip if not huge, and a handful of oscillator waveform, as a mixer section enabled
Original sale value
forward-thinking manufacturers were waveform amounts to be dialed in via sliders. A
£249
cobbling together a new communication noise generator was also included.
Current price
protocol called MIDI. While most synth Modulation was rudimentary but well- £900-£1200
makers were desperately trying to bring the considered. A single ADSR envelope generator Number made
price of polyphony down to earth, Roland put was shared by the filter and VCA, while the LFO Approximately 50,000
out what could (and should) have become the offered a choice of sine, square, noise and
de-facto electronic ‘axe’ for the music video random waveforms that could be used to
star. Sadly, Yamaha had other ideas, and the modulate the VCA, filter, pitch and pulse width.
DX7 won that battle (see opposite). Annoyingly, though, the LFO’s rate slider also modulation controls.
Nevertheless, Roland’s SH-101 seemed tailor- determined the speed of the onboard Though affordable in its day, secondhand
made for the camera-conscious musician of the arpeggiator/sequencer. prices have, of course, gone through the roof.
80s. Decked out in red, grey or blue finery and LFO linkage aside, the sequencer was among Thankfully, there are plenty of software options
optionally equipped with a handgrip and the SH-101’s best features. Simple step-entry if you must have that sound – and it is very much
shoulder strap, the SH-101 could be battery- programming of notes from the keyboard and a sound you should want, being warm, punchy
powered for maximum manoeuvrability. Better the ability to transpose the sequence via the and palpably ‘analogue’. There’s also its ease-of-
still, the thing cost a mere £249 – almost octave buttons or the keyboard itself made it a use and logical parameter selection to consider,
unbelievably affordable compared to the blast to play. It could even be clocked from making it an ideal and rewarding instrument on
luxurious digital instruments that had taken external triggers. Very nice. which to learn synthesis from the ground up. It’s
over the airwaves. In all honesty, it probably The sound of this diminutive dynamo was very difficult to make it sound bad.
didn’t matter what the 101 sounded like – at that pure Roland, and when the 90s analogue synth Some inexpensive synths were brilliant for
price, it was destined to be snapped up by any revival kicked in, it became a staple fixture in the the price. The Roland SH-101 was ‘brilliant’,
wannabe new wave performer. studios of countless dance producers. The period. Never a rock star’s instrument like the
Fortunately, it sounded incredible, which was basses were snappy and razor-sharp, the leads Minimoog or Prophet-5, the 101 was a
surprising given its meagre feature set. Sporting squelchy and expressive – especially if you synthesiser for the rest of us, and a damned
only a single oscillator bolstered by a sub- dared to use that hand-grip with its built-in fine one, too.

Three great emulations

TOGU AUDIO LINE TAL- D16 GROUP LUSH-101 ROLAND CLOUD

BASSLINE-101 €60 €149 $30/MONTH
TAL have made a mission of knocking out If you ever wanted more from your SH-101, We’ve already seen how well Roland have
exquisitely-crafted emulations of famous then D16’s LuSH-101 could be the synthesiser emulated their Jupiter-8 for their Cloud
Roland synths, and TAL-BassLine-101 is their of your dreams. While the familiar interface platform, and the great news is that the SH-101
best yet (and do also try the free version). of the original is indeed in place, it’s is up and away there too. Featuring the same
Featuring delay filtering and a nearly spot-on surrounded by additional features like a kind of component emulation, this one is so
recreation of the interface, it adds a much second LFO, dual envelopes, layering, and good that it will have you virtually strapping it
more sophisticated sequencer, polyphony, even a high-pass filter. There’s also a on just like your favourite keys players would
velocity sensitivity, MIDI learn and more. modulation matrix, layer mixer and effects. have done back in the 80s.
tal-software.com d16.pl rolandcloud.com

126 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 classic gear / make electronic music now <

Yamaha DX7
TECH SPECS
38 years ago, Japanese giant Yamaha released something that changed Years produced
the way synthesisers were built, programmed, played and sold 1983-1987
Number produced
160,000 approx.
Original sale value
To understand exactly how profound was And then there was that sound. Eventually £1549
the effect of Yamaha’s blockbuster DX7 considered passé in the face of sample-playback Current price
synthesiser, one has only to consider the technology, Yamaha’s take on digital FM £200-£400
numbers. The DX7 was released in 1983, just synthesis sounded like nothing before it –
one year after Moog’s venerable Minimoog certainly not the tired old analogue waveforms
went out of production. The Mini had sold to which synthesists had been limited for over a users scratching their noggins. So new was this
under 14,000 units in just over a decade, but decade. Crystalline electric pianos, bells and idea that it single-handedly gave birth to the
by the time the DX7 was discontinued in 1987, crisp tuned percussion alongside spiky, third-party preset market. Six sine wave
it had racked up approximately 160,000. And unashamedly digital basses – there was nothing oscillators (or ‘operators’) were arranged in
that’s not counting the sales of the numerous warm or indistinct about the DX, and it was just various preset algorithms, each of which
cut-down versions and spinoffs that formed what musicians were looking for. It didn’t hurt described the way in which the operators
Yamaha’s professional synthesiser catalogue that it cost under $2000 when other big names modulated one another or themselves. Time
from the 1980s onwards. like the Roland Jupiter-8 and Oberheim OB-Xa and level envelopes, LFOs, keyboard scaling,
Why was the DX7 such a resounding success? were selling for over twice that. velocity and other mod sources affected the
There are many reasons, but for one, it was The demand was ravenous, and Yamaha interaction of the oscillators to produce various
revolutionary in the truest sense. That word duly pumped ’em out in droves. The DX7 was timbres. Still, it was new and difficult for
holds little weight nowadays, so often has it everywhere you looked (or listened) in the analogue-accustomed synth jockeys, and it
been abused by marketing departments, mid-80s. Naturally, Yamaha milked the tech for didn’t help that it was all programmed via a
yet the DX7 was exactly that. While other all it was worth, releasing scads of variations on single data slider and diminutive LCD.
manufacturers looked for ways to cram eight the DX7’s successful formula and marketing Today, musicians have become more
voices of polyphony into their synth’s circuitry, them in avenues that had never occurred to obsessed than ever with analogue sounds, yet
Yamaha managed a full 16. Oh, and those voices most synthesiser manufacturers. They even the DX-style digital timbres have become
were velocity-sensitive, too. Plus, there was this placed ads in comic books. embraced by those looking to add a distinctive
set of funny little ‘MIDI’ jacks ’round back that flavour to spice things up.
allowed it to communicate with a few other Smooth operators You can buy a good new hardware option like
likewise-endowed instruments. The DX7’s variation of FM synthesis left many a reface DX (£300) or opt for software (below).

Three great emulations

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS FM8 DX7 V DEXED

£59 €149 £FREE
The follow-up to FM7, this one combines By now you shouldn’t be surprised that Arturia Dexed is not so much a direct emulation of a
a near spot-on emulation of the original have an emulation of this classic synth Yamaha DX7 but about as good an emulator of
DX7 with some fancy modern goodies like available either individually, or as part of their DX synthesis as you’ll get for free. This FM
multistage envelopes. It also dispenses with (much better value) V Collection. Importantly, beauty lays all those FM synthesis controls out
Yamaha’s preset algorithms, allowing the user though, Arturia say that “we’ve streamlined for you and makes the process a lot simpler
to patch the operators in any manner they see the main interface of the DX7 V to make it than it should be. And as the original was only
fit. And as with FM7, you can even import much simpler to use and understand”, which is really understood by Brian Eno, that’s good
actual DX7 patches. a huge bonus as the original was, er, not! news all round.
native-instruments.com arturia.com asb2m10.github.io/dexed/

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 127

> make electronic music now / classic gear

Roland Juno-106
A dead simple architecture, thick
chorus effect and a relatively
comprehensive MIDI implementation
turned this bargain-basement

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It’s easy to understand why some that could add a bit of oomph, and the available TECH SPECS
instruments have achieved legendary pulse and the DCO’s sawtooth waveforms could Year of manufacture
stature. Sequential Circuits’ Prophet-5, for be used simultaneously to create interesting 1984-1988
example, offered innovative features like hybrids of the two. Roland’s dependable four- Original sale value
polyphony and programmability in a classy pole resonant low-pass filter was joined by a £799
package, and even a cursory play on a simple high-pass, adding timbral variety. Then, Current price
Minimoog leaves little doubt that it was a too, there was that now-famous Roland chorus £900-£1200
performer’s dream machine. Why, though, circuit, an analogue bucket-brigade design Number made
has Roland’s Juno-106 entered the synth resulting in a thick swirl – the perfect companion unknown
pantheon? Surely not because it was in any to the Juno’s noise generator.
way a comprehensive synthesiser, offering as Reasonable enough, to be sure, but do such
it did only a single DCO per each of its six niceties justify the instrument’s sustained multitimbral MKS-7 module provides two and
voices, an all-too-familiar (if satisfyingly popularity? Possibly. As any 106 owner will tell four voice channels with nearly identical
squelchy) 24dB filter and a single four-stage you, this is an instrument on which it’s easy to architecture to that of the 106, with an added
envelope generator shared by filter and learn the basics of synthesis. More importantly, monophonic bass synth and a smattering of
amplitude circuits. And the LFO? A laughable its solid, stable sound provides an encouraging samples from Roland’s TR-707 drum machine.
affair with a single waveshape. Performance impetus to dig in. Parameters’ values can be Out of the box, the MKS-7 is a preset-only affair,
features were similarly anaemic – no velocity transmitted over MIDI (albeit in SysEx form), and but most Juno-106 editors will allow you to edit
functions or aftertouch here, just Roland’s thus recorded into a sequencer or software the sounds to your liking. Another bonus? Well,
favoured horizontally-aligned ‘bender’ and editor/librarian. The 106’s MIDI implementation the MKS-7 versions respond to incoming
mod wheel plus a portamento knob. was partially responsible for the instrument’s keyboard velocity.
It’s a pretty generic list of specifications, not longevity in the secondhand market. As you may have guessed, the rudimentary
dissimilar to the many inexpensive polysynths The Juno-106 enjoyed healthy sales, and synthesis of the Juno-106 is easily replaced by
that cropped up in the wake of the Prophet-5. So it’s still numerous enough albeit at silly prices. A software variants, of which there are plenty
why the hubbub surrounding the 106? Certainly, ‘home’ version with built-in speakers was also around. Like the hardware from which they take
much credit could be given to the sound of the available in the form of the HS-60 (or Juno-106S inspiration, such clones are excellent synths on
machine. The DCO was joined by a sub oscillator in Japan). If you can find one, Roland’s which to learn the ropes.

Three emulative 106 alternatives

U-HE DIVA ROLAND CLOUD TAL-U-NO-LX

$179 $30/MONTH $60
Urs Heckmann’s divine DIVA features a choice You’ll have got to know the Arturia ‘score’ by Though not specifically cloned from a Juno-
of vintage-emulating oscillator, filter and now –they’ve recreated most synths in 106, TAL-U-NO-LX was based on the 106’s
envelope modules that can be mixed software –and the Roland score is that you immediate predecessor, the Juno-60, which
and matched as you like. DIVA’s DCO can get most of their classics as plugins too. shared a nearly identical feature set with the
module was actually inspired by Roland’s later Subscribe to the Roland Cloud for this beauty 106. In fact, with its switches for saw and
Alpha Juno synth, but this plugin is equally (or buy it individually) and you’ll get a pulse waveforms and dual chorus options,
adept at aping any one of the Junos, including cracking 106 emulation with 64 presets, TAL-U-NO-LX is closer to the 106 than many
the 106. eight notes of polyphony and effects. that claim to be direct copies.
u-he.com rolandcloud.com tal-software.com

128 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC

 classic gear / make electronic music now <

Korg M1
One of the most
successful synths of all

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The year is 1988, and the electronic music meticulously multisampled real-world
industry is at a turning point. Knob-laden instruments that actually made it sound like TECH SPECS
analogue synthesisers have faded into you were playing the real thing. Like the D-50,
Year of manufacture
memory, and the sample-based wavetable the M1 also boasted a full range of effects – and
1988-1995
synthesis so beautifully presented by PPG is even multieffects – that could be used by its
Original sale value
about to be whitewashed for the masses in two built-in processors. £1499
the form of the soon-to-be-ubiquitous There were two inclusions that were crucial Current price
ROMpler. Roland’s entry for 1987, the D-50, to the astonishing success of the M1. The first £350-£500
combined sampled attack transients with was a complete and sophisticated eight-track Number made
sustained synthesised waveforms, and sequencer (the M1 was eight-way multitimbral) 250,000
slathered the lot in a gauzy haze of reverb. It that allowed users to cobble together complete
was a mighty success, with the instrument arrangements via a familiar pattern/song
seeming to be on perpetual back-order. paradigm. It was friendly and powerful, that
But the D-50 was only the start. Korg, too, had power being reinforced by the inclusion of some
dabbled in sample-based synthesis back in 1985 excellent sampled drum sounds. The M1 was, that time, the M1 had become the biggest-selling
with their DW-6000 and DW-8000 units, both of truly, a musician’s workstation. synth ever produced, that popularity made
which contained a handful of single-cycle Users looking to create their own sounds evident by its instantly recognisable sounds
sampled waveforms that were pumped through could combine a pair of oscillators (no sync or popping up on radio and TV, and in the cinema.
filters, envelopes and even – on the flagship cross-modulation, alas) and shuttle them The M1’s Pole, Magic Organ and Universe
model – a built-in digital delay. With the D-50 through a non-resonant filter, modulating them patches have become (perhaps overly) familiar,
selling like hot cakes, it was only natural that with envelopes, LFO, keyboard, pedal and and its slap bass will resonate forever thanks to
Korg would up the ante by tapping once again joystick. This simple pathway allowed the Jonathan Wolff’s Seinfeld theme. And then
into sample playback technology. original samples to shine through. there’s that iconic piano sound – still popular
The result was the M1, which did nearly Those who didn’t want to do too much back- today with dance music producers.
everything the D-50 did and more, with class, end tweaking could avail themselves of a Today, the M1 continues to sell in virtual form
sophistication and refinement. Where the veritable industry of support that grew up from Korg themselves. However, its spirit also
D-50 relied on sampled attacks and novel around the M1. Third-party patches and add-ons lives on in every hardware workstation and
loops, the M1 offered up a then-burly 4MB of were common currency even into the 1990s. By software ROMpler on the market.

Three M1 copycats

KORG LEGACY COLLECTION M1 KORG iM1 SONIC CAT LUXONIX RAVITY

$99 £29 $39
Containing all the sounds of the M1 and all 19 of A different beast to the desktop version, Korg’s A conscious attempt to offer a virtual
Korg’s optional add-on cards, the Legacy iM1 for iPad offers the additional after-market equivalent to the M1 and all of the hardware
Collection M1 provides more than 3000 preset cards as in-app purchases (for a total of over ROMplers that followed it, the Windows-only
sounds in all. Coming in standalone, VST, AU 3300 sounds), but adds a keen KAOSS pad Ravity and its big brother, Purity, provide a
and RTAS formats, it also adds filter resonance. controller in addition to filter resonance and collection of bread and butter sounds, along
The effects are ramped up, too, with dual beefed up effects. The touchy-feely interface with neat electronic timbres and percussion in
dedicated effects processors available for all answers any and all complaints about the a trim, easy-to-use package. It’s a bit dated, but
eight multitimbral parts. original’s lack of physical controls. still useful. Just like the M1, then!
korg.com korg.com sonic-cat.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC / 129

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