The Dj, music production and synthesiser thread

[bluejon]

Thought I'd throw this one on as well, just hope the dropbox link works. We got this mastered last week, very very happy with this tune. The general plan is to use only electronic instruments but we had to dig my bass guitar out for this as it just suited it perfectly.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ix14fucrefe8azg/Heavenly bodies v2 MASTER.wav?dl=0

 

[bluejon]

Those Korg Volca's at the heart of this set up pack a lot of punch for the price. At about £100 each, they really are cracking VFM.

I really want to get the volca FM. Grew up loving the DX-7 and it basically does the same thing. Apparently you can load the old DX-7 patches onto it.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

I really want to get the volca FM. Grew up loving the DX-7 and it basically does the same thing. Apparently you can load the old DX-7 patches onto it.

I subscribe to this guys YouTube Channel. He does plenty of stuff on patches.

 

[bluejon]

I subscribe to this guys YouTube Channel. He does plenty of stuff on patches.

talking more budget synths, i adore my korg monologue. In itself it's very simple, two oscillators, very simple controls, but the sequencer on it is incredible. Use it for rhythmic synth lines and also additional drums (you can get a gorgeous kick sound out of it). Pair that with my delay pedal and it's something else. Out of my synths it's my favourite, and it was the cheapest.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

Thought I'd throw this one on as well, just hope the dropbox link works. We got this mastered last week, very very happy with this tune. The general plan is to use only electronic instruments but we had to dig my bass guitar out for this as it just suited it perfectly.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ix14fucrefe8azg/Heavenly bodies v2 MASTER.wav?dl=0

Like that...great 80s vibe...and the bass sounds just right for it.

Are yous using hardware only?

In the mid 90s we used an akai s2000 sampler, yamaha qy700 hardware sequencer and ensoniq sq1 synth.....along with guitar, bass drums....

I amassed quite a bit of gear over the years but apart from my guitars and bass i do everything "in the box"

I started with Cubase...moved to Reason...then Ableton....but am now completely in love with Logic Pro X......best DAW ive used.

 

[bluejon]

Like that...great 80s vibe...and the bass sounds just right for it.

Are yous using hardware only?

In the mid 90s we used an akai s2000 sampler, yamaha qy700 hardware sequencer and ensoniq sq1 synth.....along with guitar, bass drums....

I amassed quite a bit of gear over the years but apart from my guitars and bass i do everything "in the box"

I started with Cubase...moved to Reason...then Ableton....but am now completely in love with Logic Pro X......best DAW ive used.

from my end all hardware but the other two do use the occasional VST. as for DAW, used cubase from about 1999 until last year when i moved over to ableton so i was on the same platform as the other two. massive difference in how you write tunes with ableton and i love it. got a launchpad x (to replace my launchpad 2 which was a pile of shite) a couple of months ago and love just jamming away to myself in the kitchen (where i've got everything set up. i do most of the cooking anyway so it's my room)

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

talking more budget synths, i adore my korg monologue. In itself it's very simple, two oscillators, very simple controls, but the sequencer on it is incredible. Use it for rhythmic synth lines and also additional drums (you can get a gorgeous kick sound out of it). Pair that with my delay pedal and it's something else. Out of my synths it's my favourite, and it was the cheapest.

I use one of these in my setup. I has an effects loop which is really useful.

It also give me some pretty good overdrive effects and sound shaping.

 

[bluejon]

I use one of these in my setup. I has an effects loop which is really useful.

It also give me some pretty good overdrive effects and sound shaping.

quality. i only got my dd-500 a couple of months ago and i can't imagine my monologue without it now. given it so much more depth and as it's all MIDI'd up you can record the automation. as opposed to buying another synth, as i did have my eyes on the arturia microfreak, thought i'll pimp out my existing gear.

my most recent synth though was one of these. yes, it's a bit like a posh vst in a box, but it sounds incredible. got it before xmas last year and it's a huge part of my set up now

 

[Nightmare Walking]

I am an Ableton user. Got a load of soft synths but never use them now.
Would love to go modular, but know its a black hole I will never emerge from.

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Hang the DJ, hang the DJ , hang the dj :)

Can people stop posting clips of f#cking Morrissey?

I think thread titles need to pro-actively inform potential readers that it either includes pictures, videos or idle chat about Morrissey.

A bit like the dark haired guy wearing glasses who would pre-warn you of a films content when you switched on a rented video.

'It may include some mild violence and may contain some sexy scenes'.............

 

[Dirty Harry]

Always wanted one of these threads :-)

Ive been in bands for years....from i was about 15 (im 45 next week). Have had some moderate (ie none) success over the years.

I DJ'd alot '93-96...mostly american house stuff....Belfast had a small but brilliant house and techno scene back then....but as a guitarist i gravitated back into bands

My first proper band got a publishing deal in '96 and we were lucky enough to record in Edwyn Collins' studio in London...produced and recorded by ex Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook.

That died off around 2000 but got back into it around 2005 and my next band did ALOT of gigging...supported a lot of touring bands and we went on to do a small tour with Ash in 2007.

Was in a couple of other bands in recent years....my last live gig was in the Cavern in Liverpool as part of a mod weekender...2017

In between all these bands ive always produced my own music...mostly electronic based...but still kinda rock orientated. I finished this track during the summer....

Good stuff mate, started off a bit of a Love Song vibe/beat which is one of my favourite songs (Early Simple Minds) and loved the 'A Forest' touch.

Me, well I had a bro who was in a few groups back in the day (late 70's/early 80's), had to share a bedroom with him and his synths, I had to be up for work 4-30am so was in bed early, so came to blows on more than a few occasions because he wanted to play all night, still remember that old Korg and Teisco he had, mutha fucka.

What ever happened to the 'Fairlight' computer/synth thing ? that'll be proper old now but back then it was mesmerizing !

 

[yeseye]

Yep...his main nights were Sugar Sweet and then Shake Ya Brain after that....pretty much went to everyone of them

I know Homer pretty well...lives round the corner from me.

If your mates went to the Art College (where those club nights were) and are roughly the same age as me 45-55 then im confident i'll either know them, or have met them in some way :-)

Belfast is small...and back then the scene was tiny....amazing place to grow up, despite what was going on

Reminds me of a City lad who a lot will know Ossai, he went over to Belfast iirc early 90s and was original Mad For it crew.
I’d not heard of him since.
Top Lad.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Native Instruments is worth a look.

I use the Kontact player which is free to download. Loads of free instruments too. Their Komplete Kontrol software is great for keeping track of all your plugins/samples/instruments.

The Analogue Dreams plugin in awesome.

Free Software, Sounds, and Samples | Komplete | Native Instruments

Explore our collection of free instruments and sound packs and expand your studio

www.native-instruments.com

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Native Instruments is worth a look.

I use the Kontact player which is free to download. Loads of free instruments too. Their Komplete Kontrol software is great for keeping track of all your plugins/samples/instruments.

The Analogue Dreams plugin in awesome.

Free Software, Sounds, and Samples | Komplete | Native Instruments

Explore our collection of free instruments and sound packs and expand your studio

www.native-instruments.com

I have a bit of the native Instruments stuff. Did have the 1st iteration of Maschine, borrowed it to Scottish Dave out of the vinyl exchange and never seen it again. Currently use the Komplete Kontrol midi keyboard. Its brilliant with all the NI stuff, but does not integrate with external hardware or Ableton very well. Massive is a good soft synth though.

 

[BlindEyeSeesAll]

Had various synths over the decades, but now I limit myself to a teenage engineering OP-1 and reason 9. Great fun.

 

[bluejon]

so been working on a new piece of music since the beginning of the year and pretty damn happy with it. played it live for the first time at a bar in lev last weekend and had a fucking great time, and certainly appears the crowd did too. For anyone interested, this is the set. about half an hour long, put together using a korg minilogue, monologue, opsix, R3, a roland ju-06a and a tr-8s. had a lot of fun writing this:

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

You DJ.com

Free site,can download diff versions and use you own mp3s...... easy to use.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

so been working on a new piece of music since the beginning of the year and pretty damn happy with it. played it live for the first time at a bar in lev last weekend and had a fucking great time, and certainly appears the crowd did too. For anyone interest, this is the set. about half an hour long, put together using a korg minilogue, monologue, opsix, R3, a roland ju-06a and a tr-8s. had a lot of fun writing this:

awesome......funky with the right amount of Dance cheese! great work Sir! best of luck with it.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

so been working on a new piece of music since the beginning of the year and pretty damn happy with it. played it live for the first time at a bar in lev last weekend and had a fucking great time, and certainly appears the crowd did too. For anyone interest, this is the set. about half an hour long, put together using a korg minilogue, monologue, opsix, R3, a roland ju-06a and a tr-8s. had a lot of fun writing this:

Will give this a listen over the weekend Jon :-)

Gonna use this as an excuse to post a link to a mix i did the other night, its kinda trippy, deep, techy house sorta stuff

 

[bluejon]

awesome......funky with the right amount of Dance cheese! great work Sir! best of luck with it.

nice one ali, much appreciated. the nice thing is i'm now old enough that i no longer give a shit about "making it", just doing it for the enjoyment of playing. the bar we played at saturday (had 3 mates DJing as well) wants us back again so there's another gig sorted, all i was really looking for.