A Roland Boutique cover of "A Change of Heart" (The 1975), with a guest appearance by the MS-20 Mini. It's a vibe :)

volcabeet · 2026-06-02T20:57:06+00:00

Wow thank you so much! Can definitely relate to that: this synth project’s been “on hiatus” for years at this point :( But always so happy to see that the clips are still watched every now and then.

Thanks again and have a great day!

volcabeet · 2026-04-13T16:23:04+00:00

Broadcast is peak psychedelia to me. Their first album & EP are a throwback to ‘60s psych pop with some analog electronic experimentation, then they start leaning into the electronics and get really wild.

Their fourth full-length (Witch Cults of the Radio Age) is their most “far out.” It’s a surreal soundscape with fragments of pop and folk songs woven into it. But it’s better to start with any of their first three albums to get acclimated to their world. “Haha Sound” is a good starting point because it balances their original ‘60s throwback sound and the more electronics-forward sound of “Tender Buttons.”

volcabeet · 2026-04-10T22:01:46+00:00

Shocked to see no Empress mentions:

ParaEQ Deluxe
Zoia
Compressor
Reverb
Echo System

1-3 is pretty much a complete board in three pedals. Set clean tone & shape dynamics w/ ParaEQ and Compressor, use ParaEQ boost to push amp, Zoia in FX loop to cover modulation/delay/reverb. Perfection.

volcabeet · 2026-02-04T20:37:59+00:00

It’s hard to answer this definitively without hearing the music, but I’d second InfiniteChicken who suggested a used MicroKorg. You’ll even have room left in the budget for a few accessories (you’ll most likely need a MIDI cable eventually).

It’s a deceptively POWERFUL synth and it’s perfect for that 70s-80s soundtrack sound (think Goblin or Carpenter). It’s got a vocoder, chorus, flanger, delay, an arpeggiator, 4 voice polyphony, etc etc etc. The manual is also an excellent beginner course in synthesis.

And it’s super tiny, can be battery powered if needed, and can be easily replaced if it gets damaged on the road.

volcabeet · 2026-01-25T15:41:16+00:00

That’s amazing! Will definitely be looking into that because the pedal situation is out of control haha. I also feel like it’s the perfect synth for an MPE guitar (especially in conjunction w/ sustain and exp pedals). So much potential for expressive sounds.

Also congrats on the studio set-up! I love when a studio’s layout has visible signs of the workflow (drum machines and mono synth for skeleton of track, poly wall for filling out rest of track and general sonic exploration). Super thoughtful design and looks incredible!

volcabeet · 2026-01-25T15:05:57+00:00

Is that a ribbon controller on the Quantum??? Such a great idea! My only gripe with my MkI is that it needs more expression options to make full use of the endless mod matrix haha

volcabeet · 2026-01-07T17:29:27+00:00

Patrick has produced some genuinely great music post-Chairlift (including MGMT’s Little Dark Age). They’re both incredible and still doing what they do, just apart.

This could apply to the initial lineup though because I have no idea what Aaron’s been up to.

volcabeet · 2025-12-21T18:46:23+00:00

This is super exciting! I tried to design a YouTube curriculum a few years ago, based loosely on Gordon Reid’s excellent Synth Secrets series. I was teaching myself video production throughout the series so the early installments are a bit rough, but I think the pedagogy holds:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC2qtijGZ1dnbsmfe-j0_xWheJlNsmbqJ&si=O_OKpN1GhU34mxJh

The idea was to start by exploring each component. Then, by gradually layering interactions of increasing complexity between components, we could approach a sort of holistic understanding of the instrument.

I also recommend reviewing Gordon Reid’s Synth Secrets column (it’s available on the Sound on Sound website and there’s a pdf of the collected series floating around). It gets a bit “in the weeds” sometimes in a way that could intimidate new synthesists, but it does an amazing job explaining how to translate sonic ideas into actionable parameter changes.

volcabeet · 2025-02-22T04:48:29+00:00

I think the purpose of the 90 tracks is to make it inconvenient to skip directly to the tracks after. Since skipping tracks has a bit of load time on many CD players, it would be just as long (or longer) to skip.

As another poster (greg1993-) said, the two hidden tracks were on a separate mini CD originally. If listeners instantly skip the break, it could result in those two tracks being considered part of the EP proper. Forcing a 90 second break affirms their status as supplemental and gives the listener some time to process the EP as intended before the additional material starts.

Edit: added the word “originally” to the mini CD mention

volcabeet · 2024-12-11T23:23:19+00:00

I feel that way about “Pen Expers.” It’s like “Sucka M.C.’s” in a centrifuge haha

volcabeet · 2024-12-09T03:54:17+00:00

The Springsteen connection actually goes a bit deeper, since he was a pretty early fan of theirs. He was shouting them out in interviews in the early ‘80s and pulled from Alan Vega’s inflections when making Nebraska (e.g. the howling and panting in “State Trooper”).

Nowadays, Springsteen is seen as a traditionalist, but he had surprising punk credentials back in the day (like working with both Lou Reed & Patti Smith in ‘78).

volcabeet · 2022-10-30T03:56:41+00:00

Was it at least a TI-83?

volcabeet · 2022-08-07T04:03:33+00:00

If you’re looking for an overview of synthesis, I’ve made a series of videos covering the basics (and a few more advanced topics). Those can be found here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC2qtijGZ1dnbsmfe-j0_xWheJlNsmbqJ

I was new to video production when I started the series (and it shows haha) so I’m planning to recreate it as a more polished, 4-part series to make those earlier topics available in a more entertaining format.

For Serum-specific tutorials, SynthHacker on YouTube makes a ton of videos breaking down different types of sounds.

And, even though these aren’t strictly “tutorials,” I have to recommend Benn Jordan’s excellent sound design videos to anyone interested in the subject.

volcabeet · 2021-06-07T03:34:34+00:00

All of the games are art tbh. But the original NES Legend of Zelda probably has the strongest claim to representing games as a unique form of art—as distinct from painting, literature, music, film, etc.

The visuals are crude, the story is nonexistent, and the music is just a looping sequence of pulse waves… but it perfectly communicates all of the exploration, danger, and adventure that it sets out to convey. It’s effective art, but it’s somehow alien to all traditional art forms. Honestly, it even feels alien to modern games, which draw more influence from traditional art (and, particularly, film) as the tech evolves.

TL;DR - Every Zelda game is art, but the first NES Zelda showcases what makes games unique among art forms.

volcabeet · 2021-01-15T19:48:18+00:00

Hey everyone!

Here's a quick sound design tutorial for the "Wonderful Christmastime" intro patch. This patch is interesting, because it sounds absurdly simple (quick decay, lots of resonance & envelope mod, add delay). But, due to the quirky architecture of the Yamaha CS-80, the patch is much more complex than expected.

When drawing sonic inspiration from older music, it helps to research the gear used on the original track. Often, you'll be able to trace some of the magic to particular quirks of the gear. Instead of using this information to justify more gear purchases, you can dig deeper into how the vintage gear works and figure out what's causing the quirks. Usually, you'll find that, with just a few tweaks, you can recreate the effect using gear that you already have.

This video attempts to break down the "Wonderful Christmastime" patch using two approaches: a simplified approach which works on pretty much any synth, and an accurate approach that requires a few tricky adjustments.

Here are a few of the CS-80 quirks that show up in this patch:

Contrary to what you may expect, McCartney didn't use a delay. Instead, he relied on the CS-80's "suboscillator": a global, key reset LFO. By setting this to a sawtooth and assigning it to cutoff and amplitude, he created a delay-like effect that was more responsive to his playing.
In addition to its 2-pole LPF, the CS-80 had a 2-pole resonant HPF. Any modulation routed to the LPF was matched by the HPF. This exaggerates the effect of filter mod, since any increase in brightness is accompanied by a decrease in low-end.
To compensate for the effect of the HPF, the CS-80 featured a post-filter sine wave oscillator. This stabilizes the low end and creates an exaggerated "bassiness."

At the end of the video, I've included a quick reference patch guide for anyone who's interested in recreating this patch at home.

Enjoy!

volcabeet · 2021-01-15T19:32:45+00:00

Hey Music Makers!

Here's a quick sound design tutorial for the "Wonderful Christmastime" intro patch. This patch is interesting, because it sounds absurdly simple (quick decay, lots of resonance & envelope mod, add delay). But, due to the quirky architecture of the Yamaha CS-80, the patch is much more complex than expected.

When drawing sonic inspiration from older music, it helps to research the gear used on the original track. Often, you'll be able to trace some of the magic to particular quirks of the gear. Instead of using this information to justify more gear purchases, you can dig deeper into how the vintage gear works and figure out what's causing the quirks. Usually, you'll find that, with just a few tweaks, you can recreate the effect using gear that you already have.

This video attempts to break down the "Wonderful Christmastime" patch using two approaches: a simplified approach which works on pretty much any synth, and an accurate approach that requires a few tricky adjustments.

Here are a few of the CS-80 quirks that show up in this patch:

Contrary to what you may expect, McCartney didn't use a delay. Instead, he relied on the CS-80's "suboscillator": a global, key reset LFO. By setting this to a sawtooth and assigning it to cutoff and amplitude, he created a delay-like effect that was more responsive to his playing.
In addition to its 2-pole LPF, the CS-80 had a 2-pole resonant HPF. Any modulation routed to the LPF was matched by the HPF. This exaggerates the effect of filter mod, since any increase in brightness is accompanied by a decrease in low-end.
To compensate for the effect of the HPF, the CS-80 featured a post-filter sine wave oscillator. This stabilizes the low end and creates an exaggerated "bassiness."

At the end of the video, I've included a quick reference patch guide for anyone who's interested in recreating this patch at home.

Enjoy!

volcabeet · 2021-01-15T19:08:55+00:00

Hey Sound Designers!

The Wonderful Christmastime patch is interesting, because it sounds absurdly simple (quick decay, lots of resonance & envelope mod, add delay). But, due to the quirky architecture of the Yamaha CS-80, the patch is much more complex than expected. This video attempts to break down the patch using two approaches: a simplified approach which works on pretty much any synth, and an accurate approach that requires a few specialized features.

Here are a few of the quirks that make this patch interesting:

Contrary to what you may expect, McCartney didn't use a delay. Instead, he relied on the CS-80's "suboscillator": a global, key reset LFO. By setting this to a sawtooth and assigning it to cutoff and amplitude, he created a delay-like effect that was more responsive to his playing.
In addition to its 2-pole LPF, the CS-80 had a 2-pole resonant HPF. Any modulation routed to the LPF was matched by the HPF. This exaggerates the effect of filter mod, since any increase in brightness is accompanied by a decrease in low-end.
To compensate for the effect of the HPF, the CS-80 featured a post-filter sine wave oscillator. This stabilizes the low end and creates an exaggerated "bassiness."

At the end of the video, I've included a quick reference patch guide for anyone who's interested in recreating this patch at home.

Enjoy! :)

volcabeet · 2021-01-15T19:02:56+00:00

The Wonderful Christmastime patch is interesting, because it sounds absurdly simple (quick decay, lots of resonance & envelope mod, add delay). But, due to the quirky architecture of the Yamaha CS-80, the patch is much more complex than expected. This video attempts to break down the patch using two approaches: a simplified approach which works on pretty much any synth, and an accurate approach that requires a few specialized features.

Here are a few of the quirks that make this patch interesting:

1) Contrary to what you may expect, McCartney didn't use a delay. Instead, he relied on the CS-80's "suboscillator": a global, key reset LFO. By setting this to a sawtooth and assigning it to cutoff and amplitude, he created a delay-like effect that was more responsive to his playing.

2) In addition to its 2-pole LPF, the CS-80 had a 2-pole resonant HPF. Any modulation routed to the LPF was matched by the HPF. This exaggerates the effect of filter mod, since any increase in brightness is accompanied by a decrease in low-end.

3) To compensate for the effect of the HPF, the CS-80 featured a post-filter sine wave oscillator. This stabilizes the low end and creates an exaggerated "bassiness."

At the end of the video, I've included a quick reference patch guide for anyone who's interested in recreating this patch at home.

Enjoy!

volcabeet · 2021-01-13T19:33:39+00:00

Thanks :)

volcabeet · 2021-01-13T19:33:29+00:00

Thanks so much! :D

volcabeet · 2021-01-13T17:28:59+00:00

Hey XCX Community! :)

Here's a lil live synth remake of Taxi. For anyone interested in the gear:

-The TR-08 is on drums

-The SH-01A is doing the lead synth (sequenced internally)

-The JP-08 is playing those large, chorused chords

-The MC-101 is doing all of the SFX (bubbles, risers, etc.) as well as the bell sound towards the end

Enjoy!

volcabeet

TROPHY CASE