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welcome / <

SYNTHS

Welcome to the Music Producer’s Guide to Synthesisers, the
complete guide to the exciting world of softsynths, brought to you
by the experts at Computer Music magazine.
Thanks to the enormous processing power brought to us by
the latest generations of Macs and PCs, software synthesisers are now capable of
extraordinary sonic feats, and can now produce the kinds of sounds never dreamt
of in the hardware realm. That said, much of the development of softsynths over the
years has been to emulate classic synths, so we’ll be looking at both strands of synth
in this special – classic emulations and all-new sonic explorers.

On the first front we take the bull by the horns and dare to go where few have
gone before, by actually comparing softsynths that emulate classic synths with the
original hardware. We look at three such iconic synths – the Minimoog, ARP
Odyssey and Roland SH-101 – and their software equivalents in our main feature on
page 14. We also look at some of the ‘less classic’ hardware synths of days gone by
(on page 92), and show you how to emulate these more curious synths in software.

Onto the newer types of softsynths, and we have all sorts of hands-on
workshops showing you some of the basics of synthesis, and lifting the lid on some
of the more interesting features of modern classics like Serum and Massive.

Another recent and exciting trend in the world of synthesis is modular, a once
hardware-only realm, but one that is now accessible directly with software
recreations, or one that can easily be brought into your DAW world. And for this
latter option, we have a huge starter guide on modular synthesis on page 40. But
don’t worry if creating a hardware modular system is out of your reach budget wise,
because, once again, software has the answer, and we show you how to create a full
modular software synth system for free in three tutorials on pages 54, 86 and 98.

We also have roundups and reviews of the latest softsynths from page 102, so
you can see what the experts think before you add to your softsynth studio. But the
best part about this bookazine on synths is that you don’t really need to buy
anything! You also get access to the mighty Computer Music Plugin Suite – see
pages 8 and 9 – which has over 90 instruments and effects to download, including
around a dozen Mac and PC softsynths! Finally, we make it even easier to get a great
synth sound with six packs of free synth samples to download (see page 10).

In short, then, if you want to include the sound of the synthesiser in your music,
no matter what genre you make, you’ve come to the right place. Enjoy the
bookazine and happy tweaking!

Andy Jones, editor



SYNTHS

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

Music Producer’s Guide To Synths Editorial
Editor Andy Jones

Designer Mark White
Compiled By Drew Sleep & Greg Whitaker

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
Editorial Director Scott Rowley
Head Of Design Brad Merrett

Contributors
Dave Gale, Scot Solida, Jon Musgrave, Jonathan Strinati and Andy Price

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The Music Producer’s Guide to Synths Second Edition (MUB5039)
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Part of the

bookazine series

Presents

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO

SYNTHESISERS

Hands-on workshops, in-depth features and practical advice –
all you need to know about making music with synths in 2022

CONTENTS

MAIN FEATURES

14 Classic Synths
V Softsynths
We take three classic
hardware synths and line
them up against several
softsynth emulations

40 Easy Guide To
Modular Synthesis
The world of hardware
modular synthesis explained
and how to easily get it into
your DAW world

14 40

6 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

contents <

54 116

112 Rob Papen
Blade 2

113 Synthmaster
2 iOS

116 GForce OB-E

118 UVI 8-BIT

120 Arturia Pigments 3

58 92 122 Cherry Audio

Mercury-4

Hands-on Reviews The Best Synths!
Workshops

In-depth step-by-step Expert reviews by The Computer Music
workshops exploring Computer Music experts round up their
best softsynths in
all aspects of magazine of all the several categories

synthesis with some of latest softsynths 102 The Six Best Budget
Synths
the biggest selling
114 The Six Best
softsynths out there 104 Arturia V Softsynths Of
All Time
Collection 8
124 The Best Freeware
54 Patch From Scratch 108 Softube Softsynths
Part 1
Model 84 127 The Best iPad Synths
128 The Six Best Future
58 Synth Secrets 110 Korg Collection
Classic Softsynths
67 Synth Focus
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 7
86 Patch From Scratch

Part 2

90 Top Synth Tips

92 Under The Radar
– exploring the less
common synths

98 Patch From Scratch 108

Part 3

> make synth music now / how to use this guide

How To Use This Guide

We have several softsynths, videos and workshop audio files to
accompany the features in this special Music Producer’s Guide To Synths
bookazine. Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to download it all,
including 3,000 samples and over 90 plugins from the Plugin Suite!

Many of the features in this Music instruments and effects that you can download contains all of the video files or audio files (or
Producer’s Guide To Synths are and install into your DAW (either the Mac or PC indeed both) related to the feature you need.
accompanied by audio and video files to help version) completely for free. Many of these are
you complete them, all available at at filesilo. used in the workshops in this guide and the The Computer Music Plugin Suite of
co.uk. There are, for example, sound files for Suite includes many amazing softsynths. instruments and effects is in the Software
you to compare both classic and softsynths for section at filesilo.co.uk and comprises
our main feature starting on page 14, and there In order to access all of this additional instruments and effects for Mac or PC. Simply
are also videos to guide you through many of content, go to filesilo.co.uk and register – see the download the plugins for whichever type of
the workshops in case you get stuck. Using FileSilo boxout below. Once you have computer you use.
We have also included the world-famous logged in, you will be presented with all of this
Computer Music Plugin Suite, a set of over 90 content, feature by feature (each folder listed by More detailed instructions on how to install
the feature’s page number and title). Each folder these instruments and effects are included on
the opposite page. Enjoy!

>Step by step Using FileSilo

1 First of all, open your web browser and navigate to 2 Navigate to the Bookazines section at the main filesilo.co.uk
filesilo.co.uk. You should be greeted to a landing page that screen. Click this tab and you will see a list of recent Bookazines we
looks similar to the above image. have produced including The Music Producer’s Guide To Synths. Click
on this – it will have the same image as the cover of this bookazine.

3 In the main ‘Tutorial Files’ section you will find all of the features 4 Scroll down and in the main ‘Software’ section you will find all of
listed by page number and title. Click on whichever one you like the plugins in the Computer Music Plugin Suite. These are listed as
and then download ALL of the content – audio and video files – Mac or PC instruments and effects. There’s also a guide to the suite as a
associated with that feature in one click. Beware, some of these are downloadable PDF. You can find out more information about installing
large downloads (up to around 4GB in one case), but usually less them on the opposite page.
than 100MB.

8 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

how to use this guide / make synth music now <

Installing your free plugins

How to access and install the 90+ free plugin instruments and effects
from the Computer Music Plugin Suite!

>Step by step Accessing and installing the Computer Music Plugin Suite

1 If you haven’t completed the steps 2 Head to the Bookazines section and 3 You can find the Plugin Suite under
opposite and it’s your first time at The Music Producer’s Guide To Synths. the Software section. There are four
filesilo.co.uk, it’s time to create an account Click on this to access your free content main sections for Mac and PC instruments
with your email and custom password. including the world famous Computer and effects.
Music Plugin Suite.

4 There’s also a PDF guide to download 5 Now simply download whichever 6 The complete folder of instruments or
which is an accompaniment to the instruments and effects you want in effects will download as shown above
suite and details each and every one of blocks. These are big downloads – 1 to 3GB (on a Mac). Open it up and select which
the instruments and effects. It’s well – but you’ll get the entire suite in just two plugin you want to install.
worth a download to guide you all 90+ of downloads (either Mac or PC, depending
the plugins. on your computer).

7 There are generally two ways to install 8 Some, like Thorn, need installing so 9 Now open up your DAW and the
a plugin. If it is shown as a .vst file it is you need to double click on the file installed plugins should appear in the
ready to simply place in your VST folder and run through your standard plugins folder. Simply drag whichever one
and should work straight away once you installation procedure. The plugin should you want onto a MIDI track and you are
start your DAW. install into the correct location. ready to go!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 9

> make synth music now / your free synth samples

Your Free Synth Samples

Expand your synth collection without spending a penny as we
have a massive 6-pack and over 3,000 synth samples for you!

BASS

SYNTH

FX & LOOPS

ULTIMATE SYNTHS C OLLECTION ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION

Sinister synths Bass synth, FX and
loops
Inspired by the sounds of John
Carpenter, Stranger Things and other Our next set of synth sounds was produced by Groove Criminals. Oli
movie soundtracks, this collection of from Groove says of its creation: “It’s all about that bass so we decided to
one-shots and loops – created by go old school and rinse the low end on a selection of the hardware synths
Cyclick Samples and Groove Criminals – that we have knocking about.
is packed full of spooky sequences,
blood-curdling atmospheres, scary “We clocked the Roland SH-101’s ‘unique’ built-in sequencer using the
stings, discordant drones and more… sync out of an Arturia DrumBrute. We also used that same technique to
clock a Korg SQ-1 driving a small Erica Synths semi modular synth voice.
503 SAMPLES
“The analogue bass loops are a mixture of synths, including the old
including… school (and underrated) Novation Super Bass Station and Yamaha CS5,
89 Atmos among others. We tried to leave them dry but couldn’t resist a touch of
43 Loops analogue delay here and there.
8 Multis
31 Single hits “The FM basses are also a mixture of a TX81z module and a Volca FM
193 Analogue monosynth being fed original DX patches via MIDI and Dexed.
64 Sequences and arps
“The Moog samples came courtesy of our Mother 32 and we threw in a
set of loops from the Korg Monologue – a great little synth which we
suspect may go on to become a little bit of a cult classic as we head into
the future.”

GEAR USED Novation Super Bass
Arturia DrumBrute Station
Erica Synths module Roland SH-101
Korg SQ-1 Yamaha TX81z
Korg Monologue Yamaha CS5
Korg Volca FM
Moog Mother 32

10 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

your free synth samples / make synth music now <

ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION

Modular Madness

Modular synthesis is MODULAR
huge… and expensive. MADNESS
But don’t worry, we
have two mighty
collections of modular
synth samples, the
first of which is full of
synth madness…

We couldn’t deliver a complete set of synth “A chain of pedals was set up after the source
samples without dipping our sonic oscillations and three or four combinations were
screwdriver into the world of modular recorded to build up a number of multisamples
synthesis. Here we have a truckload of old- at once. Each note was edited so that it
school sonic ramblings in the form of some produced a perfect oscillating loop – with more
mad modular synth multisamples and loops complex waves, it can be painstaking getting
in WAV and Sound Font formats (so can be the endpoint to exactly match the start of the
played in free players like Alchemy). loop for a seamless, click-free tone.

The modular maestro “Multiple chains of analogue pedals were
then set up to give each sample its flavour, and
Robbie Stamp of Cyclick details how he the recordings were painstakingly edited to
produced this most mad of modular collections. create perfect looping tones – a tricky task for
some of the more complex waveforms.
“The original oscillations came from three
main sources,” he says, “the Jen SX-1000 “The loops were then made using these very
monosynth with its Triangle, Square and PWM multisamples, loaded into Camel Audio
oscillations, a Moogerfooger’s low-pass filter Alchemy, balanced, panned and shaped through
with its resonance on full to produce a sine enveloped filters and ADSRs. The output from
wave, and the carrier from its ring modulator. Alchemy was then sent through an Eventide
The Moogerfoogers were often run through ModFactor pedal with a Yamaha SPX1000
each other and connected by CV to form effects unit, as well as a set of pedals into the
different control chains, tuned for each note two Moogerfoogers (Lowpass filter and Ring
using a standard chromatic guitar tuner. Mod) and the Boss DE-200 digital delay.’’

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 11

> make synth music now / your free synth samples

Modular
Mayhem

Our second pack of modular synth
samples has 909 plugged-in and
analogue-heavy sounds care of
Groove Criminals

Oli Bell of Groove Criminals was set a mission
to produce the wackiest possible bloops and
bleeps using only dusty analogue
instruments. We caught up with him when he
finally resurfaced…

“All the modular samples were taken from an
extended set of freeform jams on an Analogue
Systems RS8000 Eurorack system modular,
supplemented by some other modules from Tip
Top, Make Noise, Bubblesound and others. A few
effects were added to the raw samples whilst
fiddling, with things like modulation times being
tied back in to the modular via CV. All the Dark
Energy 2 samples were created using its semi-
modular format to patch or using CV-spewing
bits of outboard such as the frankly bonkers
Flame Clockwork.”

Oli obviously takes life one module at a time.
“The Moogerfooger modular was created by
taking the OSC output from the Freqbox and
was used as the basic tone generator. This could
be then pitched using CV from our SH-09 via the
freq in CV. This signal was then fed through the
ring mod and/or phaser before being filtered by
the low-pass filter and MuRF, then finally fed into
the delay. All the sequencing for all the samples
except the Modular system was run by either
the Future Retro Orb, Arturia MiniBrute’s
arpeggio, Cubase with a Mutable Instruments
MIDIpal inserted inline, or from a Roland MC-09
– a secret weapon for acid sequences!”

12 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

your free synth samples / make synth music now <

The Synthwave packs

New Wave Synth

SYNTHWAVE
POWER

ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION

Synthwave Power New Wave Synth

Our last two sample packs cover classic synth genres, so we’ve got our Our last pack of synthwave sounds was put together by sample
expert sample producers surfing the synth waves. Here’s what Robbie maestros Groove Criminals. Oli Bell from Groove says:
Stamp from Cyclick Samples says of Synthwave Power:
“Synths! We’ve got our 80s influence on for this pack of synthwave
“This collection splits GEAR USED samples. As usual, we’ve used a mixture of hardware and software but
into three folders: Arturia V Collection synths have leant heavily on a handful of 80s classic hardware synths. First up is
Arpeggiator Loops, Kurzweil K2600r synth/ our beautiful Juno-60 which handles arpeggio duties being clocked
Lines and Loops and effects processor externally via MIDI to CV with some hands-on control tweaking. We also
Chord One Shots. UAD plugins used our Mother 32 for that classic fat Moog ladder filter sound, the SH-101
They each contain Soundtoys plugins for some more classic arps and the underrated (in our humble opinion)
samples made from 11 Eventide plugins Yamaha CS5 analogue mono synth for that 80s goodness. We topped the
synths (see below) Liquidsonics Seventh synth loops and multis off with a collection of 80s drum hits, all harvested
which were first Heaven plugin from our stack of drum machines. We tried to stray off the well-worn
programmed for the Unfiltered Audio plugins
Line and Loops Steinberg Nuendo 8.3 808/909 path and
samples and then include some from
tweaked for the Chord One Shots and machines that capture
then again for the Arpeggiator Loops. that 80s sound (to us
anyway), boxes like the
“The Line/Loop samples are 2- or Kawai R-50E, TR505,
4-bar loops with tempo and key included Alesis HR among others.”
in the filenames. Not every synth appears
in every tempo (they appear in four GEAR USED
each) and they’re spread across keys to Alesis HR16
make sure there’s always something in Kawai R-50E
key, or close for minimal re-pitching. The Moog Mother 32
Chord One Shots are sustained chords Roland Juno-60
with their natural decay. The chord Roland SH-101
names are as standard, though a hyphen Roland TR-505
(-) is used where a backslash (/) would Yamaha CS5
normally be used, as those can’t be used
in filenames.”

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 13

> make synth music now / classics v software

CLASSIC SYNTH
V SOFTSYNTH

Can softsynths really be a match for
hardware? Let’s find out as we line
them up against three mighty synth
classics from Moog, Roland and ARP

14 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

classics v software / make synth music now <

If we can get historical for a moment, classic hardware reissue (or the original synth) shook up the market, bringing the cost of
there have been many key moments in vs one desktop emulation vs one iOS emulation. analogue subtractive synthesis to within reach
the development of music technology: guitar of enthusiasts. For the purposes of shaking
amplification, the introduction of magnetic The synths things up, we’re also going to audition G-Force
tape, multi-track recording, computer-based software’s highly regarded Oddity 2 plugin,
recording… And then there is the sub-strata We’re going to start with the king of the classics: which is billed as a meticulous emulation of the
relating to synthesis, which could take up an the Minimoog. Arguably the most influential original, but with the convenience of software.
entire book in itself. monosynth of all time, it is often regarded as the
Over the last few years, the reemergence of grandaddy, created by the Godfather of synthesis, Making up the final part of our monosynth
hardware synthesisers has raised plenty of Bob Moog. (Purists will want to pronounce this trilogy, we head to Japan, with the affordable
eyebrows. The market is bustling with radical ‘Moge’!) The original Mini is often celebrated as classic from the early 80s, the SH-101. Where the
new analogue and digital designs and reissues having a sonic identity which is gutsy and fat, so Mini was expensive and the Odyssey was just
of absolute classics. And it’s this latter category we’ve taken an original Moog reissue from a about affordable, the 101 was truly affordable,
we’re focusing on here, and the question we couple of years ago – all but identical to an with a street price of around £200. It brought
repeatedly ask is: “why would you spend original – and put it through its paces, against analogue synthesis to the masses, in a package
thousands on a reissued piece of hardware, the Arturia Mini V software. Where possible, we which was designed for the future. You could
from 40 or 50 years ago, when you can buy the wanted to explore rising stars in tablet form, even play it like a keytar! Roland relented to
software for a fraction of the price?”. and for the Minimoog, we have the fantastic public calls for a 101 reissue a few years ago, so
There is much to debate here, not least of all app, made by Moog themselves. But will an app we have the SH-101 Plug-out (also plugin!)
whether there are intrinsic sonic differences costing a few quid give the £3,000 plus hardware software, which is the same facsimile to be
between hardware and software, so in the first a run for its money, or will the long-established found in the System series synths, and the
of a series of articles, we start with three of the Arturia have a thing or two to say about it? SH-01A Boutique model. With a lack of any
finest monosynths ever produced, and audition clone-inspired iOS apps, we thought we’d place
the hardware against comparable software. But Next up, we stay State-side, and audition the highly-respected TAL 101-bassline plugin up
it’s not just down to us! We have captured Korg’s classic hardware reissue of the ARP against the Roland products, to hear their take
soundbites from the hardware plus the desktop Odyssey, against their own iOS app, replicating on the classically tight Roland sound.
and iOS software, and we’d like to invite you to the same machine. The original Odyssey came
check out what you think is best. So we have a some years after the Minimoog, but offered a So let’s get to it. It’s time to compare the
different, unique sound which complemented hardware with the software for the most classic
the Moog. It was also one of the machines that synth of them all, the Minimoog…

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 15

> make synth music now / classics v software

Moog Minimoog

It is incredibly fitting that the very first synth for inspection
and consideration in our battle of the platforms is
arguably the most famous and desired of all monosynths.
The Minimoog might not require introduction, but it is
certainly worth considering why it garners the reputation
that it does, while continuing to be a highly-inspirational
object of desire for studio musicians, performers and
enthusiasts alike. Enter the legend…

We have to start at the very beginning, more seriously, and it was at the tender age of 15 direction for much greater things to come.
with the godfather of subtractive that he built his first Theremin as part of a
synthesis, Robert Moog. The son of an science fair. Further projects followed, which Moog’s debut modules
electrical engineer, Bob Moog’s interest in included more electronic organs and even a
electronic musical instruments started very Geiger counter, but Bob was utterly captivated It was some ten years later that Moog began
young. Aged just ten years old, he started by the Theremin, continuing to revise his self- collaborations with other like-minded
building simple radio circuits and other builds as part of a business that he started with individuals, creating early synthesiser modules
electrical projects, one of which was a three- his father. This fledgling business called Ramco, that would respond to voltage control. These
note electronic organ. was renamed in 1954 to R. A. Moog Co. Yet more new technologies gained interest from notable
A move to the Bronx High School of Science Theremins followed but one model, called the composers and experimental musicians, such as
allowed the teenage Bob to take his interest 351, offered tone shaping capabilities, setting the John Cage, and formed the blueprint for what
would become the first synthesisers which were

iOS v hardware v desktop (out of shot).
In shot: yes that’s a Schmidt synth.
Yes, we’re showing off

16 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

classics v software / make synth music now <

released in 1967, branded Models I, II & III. Not just about carry under your arm… at least you Other ways to get
the Moog sound
only were these the first machines of their kind, could if you were quite strong; it was an early
It won’t come as a surprise to
but they were also instrumental in the analogue beast and pretty heavy! learn that, as the Minimoog is
arguably the most inspirational
introduction of the word ‘synthesiser’ into the Regardless of its physicality, it was synth of all time, there are many
other versions available to suit
musical landscape (although probably convenient; the Mini offered a panel which your way of working.

‘synthesizer’ given the US origin). could be raised to an angle, with a 44-note Other notable software
contenders include the Native
The popularity and acceptance of these early keyboard in front of it, so creating sounds was Instruments Monark, G-Force
Software Minimonsta and the
modular machines was fairly swift, with early an immediate prospect, requiring no patching UVI UltraMini, which all offer
their own take on the original. We
demonstrations of the system from electronic with cables. It was a performance synth which could easily have included more
of these in our tests but time and
pioneer Wendy Carlos, alongside usage on rock quickly became the must-have for a veritable space are always constraints and
the Arturia was included very
and pop albums by The Doors and The who’s who of pop, rock, jazz and commercial much as it was an early
emulation and does not go too
Monkeys. It was the release of the legendary music. Absolutely everyone had to have one… much ‘off road’; it is almost a
classic in itself!
album Switched on Bach in 1968, winning two Setting a blueprint
Grammy Awards the following year, that really There have also been a
substantial number of hardware
cemented the arrival of synthesiser technology, Moreover, this condensed format became the clones over the years; it’s fair to
say that with hardware, you will
although Bob Moog was unhappy with the benchmark for synthesiser design in future most certainly get what you pay
for, and two of our favourites
original album cover. Portraying J.S. Bach years. At the beginning of the signal chain were come from highly respected
companies, with a price tag that
himself, in a slightly giggling-pose in front of a three Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), assures quality.

Moog Modular System, the first incarnation of each offering six different waveforms which The AJH Synth MiniMod
Eurorack system offers an
the cover seemed to trivialise the sound that the included triangle, saw and the legendary shark- alarmingly close emulation of the
Mini, but in Eurorack form. This
instrument made, as Bach mugged at the tooth waveform. Pulse Width Modulation was has advantages, as it allows for
connectivity with other more
camera, as though he were not possible, so contemporary modules, giving
the Mini concept a new lease of
hearing a strange sound. three incarnations of life. Being Eurorack, it will
square/pulse wave require a degree of modular
“They were the firstTo make matters worse, infrastructure before installing.
the headphones were were included. The
three VCOs could be Meanwhile, Studio Electronics
plugged into the input of a machines of their altered in pitch, have taken the Mini and put it on
steroids. The MidiMini v30 is a 4u
filter, which would have rack mounted box, that provides
a Minimoog with a host of added
resulted in no sound. The through the use of features and colour, which also
either coarse-tuning includes Eurorack connectivity,
kind, and introducedsame actor portraying although it also functions
straight out of the box, without
Bach was booked for octave pots, or additional Eurorack hardware. It
variable fine-tuning sounds epic, weighty and is
‘the synthesiser’”another photo shoot for a sublimely powerful. A Mini for
replacement cover. It was the current age!
pots, which could
Other Minimoog desktop options include
reshot in an altogether extend to large NI’s Monark and GForce’s Minimonsta

more serious and stately pose, this time with a intervals of a fifth, either side of the desired

correctly connected pair of headphones! fundamental pitch. The VCOs were then fed into

More Moog access a mixer, where they could be adjusted in
volume, alongside two other elements: white/

The two big problems with the original Moog pink noise and an external input. This latter

Modular systems were the price and the input became very important in the use of the

physical size, both of which were gigantic. instrument, as many musicians experimented

Having overcome the extreme cost of the with the Mini, discovering that the headphone

system, you were then merely faced with the output could be fed into the External input,

practicalities of transporting it from A to B. creating a loop which would overdrive the

There was clearly a need for something smaller circuit, creating distortion.

and more compact, but also something with The included filter (VCF) has become the

similar functionality. stuff of legends. Fabled for its incredible depth

In 1970, the Minimoog was born. Also known and warmth, mostly due to its analogue design

as the Model D, it offered all the big selling and makeup, the 24dB/4-pole design was fixed

points of the Modular in a form which you could in a low-pass mode. It sounds rich and full, while

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 17

> make synth music now / classics v software

playing in the lower frequencies, making it a “Aside from the the app is a complete steal (and it was even free
firm favourite for bass sounds. The associated for a limited time recently!). You might
filter resonance whistles into action if applied physical differences download the Minimoog Model D App on a
liberally, but does manifest a sound which lacks whim, but it’s usage extends way beyond simple
low-end content in this setting. This was also the Model D app does sofa-bound noodling. By equipping your iOS
one of the reasons for employing the device with appropriate additional hardware,
headphone-loop-around trick, as the distortion have a classic feel” you will have a great sounding, tactile and very
would replace some of the low-frequency versatile classic synth at your disposal, made by
content, reduced by the resonance. have now elapsed, Moog have helpfully the company behind the original masterpiece.
implemented a number of useful additions and
There was also a lack of dedicated Low upgrades, which might vindicate the And on your desktop?
Frequency Oscillator (LFO) on the original Mini, experience, that is if the several thousand
requiring the user to use one of the main three pound price differential alone is not enough! Meanwhile, many other companies have flirted
VCOs to Lo mode, for creating LFO modulation. with the Model D, in both hardware and
However, there were two 3-stage envelopes, for The first of these upgrades includes the software form – see previous page. Arturia
independent control of amplitude and filter presence of a dedicated LFO, which although produced one of the earliest software versions
cutoff modulation. not on the 1970 original, was included in the of the Model D, which is now in its v3 phase.
2016 reissue. Known as the Mini V, Arturia’s software is
The early Minimoogs are still legendary. available in all the usual popular plugin formats,
However they do have a reputation for The iOS app also downloads with 160 superb for both Mac OS and Windows PC. Arturia
wandering in and out of tune. The early discrete production ready presets, with capacity for describe the Mini V as a faithful reproduction of
circuitry was open to fluctuation, with extended your own sonic creations to be saved within the the original, which certainly appears to be the
warm up times for tuning stability, and had a device’s own storage. case from the interface, which is inviting and
notable reaction to changes in room enticing, for user tweak-ability.
temperature. Regardless, they continue to be The original Minimoog offers no possibility
highly desired, so much so, that Moog Music for patch saving, although it is worth Being software, there are many
released a new, but limited edition reissue of the mentioning that the Moog Voyager, which enhancements, many of which resonate with
Minimoog in 2016. Offering a carbon-copy adopts a similar sound and architecture to the the Moog iOS app. The plugin relies on Arturia’s
facsimile of the original, this beautiful original, has plenty of patch saving capacity, TAE technology, which boasts accurate
reincarnation also introduced a dedicated LFO, along with other useful enhancements, mimicking of analogue oscillators, filters and
alongside MIDI connectivity, to accompany although many users report that it lacks the even clipping. Alongside the same signal-flow
traditional connectivity via CV & Gate. depth and gutsy sound of the original. content of three VCOs and 4-pole filter, there is
also a dedicated LFO for modulation, which can
Moog hardware v… er Like four Moogs be used alongside a relatively comprehensive
Moog software modulation matrix. This allows up to eight
Next, in this new addition’s line-up, is 4-note connections from 15 sources, applied to 35
It is a 2016 reissue that we are using as the polyphony. The original is, and always has been, destinations. That’s modular-scale modulation,
benchmark for our comparisons, but can a monosynth, so the concept of being able to which was also a pipe-dream for the original.
software really come up to the same sound and play polyphonically has always been a pipe There is also plenty of preset and memory
detail of a new piece of analogue hardware? dream. This, of course, is one of the biggest capacity, back-end effects and a wonderful
advantages of software; you can often add arpeggiator, and the polyphonic voice count
If anyone can tell us this, it’s Moog voices easily, along with other revisions has been increased to a whopping 32 notes.
themselves. If you’re working to a budget, but available through software updates. It’s also
find yourself with an iPhone or iPad, you can great to see the addition of an effects section, One other notable feature is the presence of
have a faithful reincarnation of the Model D, which includes elements such as a Delay and a vocal filter, for creating really interesting
Minimoog Model D App, right at your fingertips, Looper, or our own personal favourite, the vocal-formant style effects, with its own
and made by Moog. Obviously, this will not be Arpeggiator. These offer instant gratification, so dedicated LFO. Costing a mere €149, this is a
an analogue hardware heavyweight, but can it much so, it’s our view that all synths should great Mini-clone, which has enduring longevity,
stand tall against the sound of the original? We’ll have an arpeggiator, enshrined in law! thanks to its latest v3 construct.
soon find out!
The final huge plus-point which we’ve Over the next few pages, we have tutorials
Apart from the rather obvious physical already touched upon is the price. At just £14.99, on the Moog sound plus some interesting facts
manifestation, albeit on a touchscreen, the you may not know about this classic. Then we
Model D app looks and feels very similar to the conclude our thoughts!
classic hardware. Moreover, as 50 or so years

Moog connectivity

One of the great wonders of DAW-based immeasurably improve the quality of the A MIDI interface will be
plugins is that they are easy to install and sonic reproduction. The IK Multimedia required, even if you have a
use, with no requirement for additional iRig range has a wealth of products for hardware reissue
hardware. That said, the Arturia Mini V is all scenarios that are perfect
NKS compliant, so you can take huge solutions for iOS connectivity.
advantage of its interfacing options with
hardware through the use of Native Meanwhile, if you’re lucky
Instruments or Arturia MIDI controllers. enough to have access to a hardware
Minimoog, you’ll need an audio
While Moog’s own iPhone/iPad app can interface to get your audio into your
be used in a standalone format, the DAW. While you will also need a MIDI
addition of further enhancements will interface if you want to connect one of
hugely benefit the quality of the the reissued models via MIDI, the vintage
experience if you intend to get serious originals present more of a challenge!
with the app. Adding a MIDI/USB MIDI You’ll need a MIDI to CV/Gate convertor to
interface will help with triggering, while trigger the Minimoog, and depending on
the presence of some form of iOS age and condition, you might find this can
compliant audio interface will be a little unreliable. That’s vintage!

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Creating Moog patches – the classic Thriller patch

One of the most iconic bass patches of all time was created on a Minimoog for the Michael
Jackson hit Thriller. We’ll use Arturia’s Mini V to create it…

> Step by step 1. Creating Moog patches – the classic Thriller bass patch

1 The Arturia Mini V can work as a 2 Now we need to add Osc 2 into our 3 In order to hear Osc 2, we need to
plugin or in a standalone mode, so sound, but to make it slightly different, switch it on in the mixer section, and
load up your preferred version. As we will we’ll set this to a square wave, which will then turn up the Level control. We will
want to start from a point of initialisation, nicely complement the saw of VCO 1. As keep this colour slightly quieter than the
go to the patch/preset menu, locate the we also want to play this patch in a bass saw, so position the Volume pot at around
Template section at the bottom of the register, set the range of both Osc 1 and the 50%. Add a small amount of detuning
menu and select 1 Osc. This should Osc 2 to 16’. to Osc 2. Try Control + click/drag (Mac) or
present a single VCO playing a sawtooth, right-click drag (PC) on the tuning pot, to
with a wide open filter. add a few cents variation, against Osc 1.

4 Now add a little colour to emphasise 5 In order to hear Osc 3, we will also 6 Now we’ll start to sculpt our sound
the upper frequency band, using Osc need to switch on the channel in the using the filter, so reduce the Cutoff
3. In much the same way that we altered mixer section, and blend the Volume at control to around 3, which equates to
Osc 2, set Osc 3 to a sawtooth wave, but around 70%, which will be around the 2 around the 9 o’clock position. Place the
this time coarse tune the Osc to 8’. Also o’clock point on the pot. You should now Emphasis control at roughly the same
check that the Osc 3 Cntrl switch is off. hear the basic construct of the patch, point. ‘Emphasis’ was always the term
You’ll find this to the left of the Range pot. albeit without any bite. used for resonance on Moog synths.

7 As we want the bass sound to have a 8 This bass has a very slight ‘waw’ at the 9 Finally, don’t forget to save your patch.
little bit of bite, we will use the front of each note and this is down to a A sound like this benefits hugely from
dedicated Filter Envelope to add some subtle tweak of the attack phase on the compression within your DAW, a great
filter-based crack to the front of each note. filter envelope. Try setting this to a compressor choice being a FET
Apply a value of around 40% to the position between 8 and 9 o’clock. Go too based/1176 clone. A fast response time will
Amount pot, while also placing the Filter far, and the sound will veer off into the bring out those glorious low-end
Envelope decay at around 10 o’clock. 70s, but keep it tight, and it’ll be all Thriller frequencies, which will have those
and no filler! zombies dancing in no time!

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 19

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Creating Moog patches – something not so classic…

As an alternative to our Thriller patch, we thought we’d construct a pad-like patch. This utilises
the power of the Minimoog’s three oscillators to create a beautiful chordal texture, very popular
with early electronic pioneers who often lacked polyphonic synths, capable of producing chords.

> Step by step 2. Creating Moog patches – the one-key chord

1 In much the same way that we did for 2 Next we’ll adjust the pitch range of 3 Now it’s time to set up Osc 2; this will
our Thriller patch, we’ll start by Osc 1. As we are going to construct a be easier to do if we can hear it, so let’s
initiating a starting point. Go to the three-note chord, we will start by using start the process by moving across to the
presets menu, and select the 1 Osc patch. this first VCO as our bass note in the mixer section, specifically the pot relating
This will give us a single sawtooth, with a formation. Set the range selector to 16’. to Osc 2, and turn up the Level to around
wide open filter. Think of this as our foundation or 80%. When you do so, if you audition the
fundamental to the chord we create. sound, you’ll hear a thick texture.

4 Now it’s time to make some 5 Now it’s time to apply similar 6 This is because the Osc 3 Ctrl switch
alterations to the pitch and wave of credentials to Osc 3. We’ll begin by prevents it from responding to the
Osc 2. Switch the range to 16’, but then visiting the mixer section again, but this keyboard’s input value, used for
move to the Tuning pot, and create a value time we’ll be activating Osc 3 and turning modulation duties, where you might not
of +7 semitones for a very pleasing 5th the Volume up to around 70%. At this want the frequency of the Osc to change.
texture. Finally, change the wave to a saw, stage, should you audition your sound, the We however do want to use it for pitch, so
instead of the default square wave. pitch will sound off. (See next point!) flick the switch upward, to turn it off.

7 Now we have control over the pitch of 8 Now we have our chord in place, we 9 Finally, adjust the attack and decay
Osc 3, we’ll make some alterations to can move to the filter to adjust our phases of both the filter envelope and
place the highest note on our oscillator tonal colour. Adjust the Cutoff pot to the amplitude envelope, described on the
tree. Set the Osc range to 8’, then adjust around the 0 mark, or 12 o’clock if you Mini V as Loudness Contour. In this
coarse tuning to +4 semitones, which will prefer. We shall also exploit the filter setting, the decay phase also acts as a
offer a major 3rd, on the top of our chord. envelope, so set the Amount pot to release phase, but note that increasing the
Finally, change the wave to a saw, so that it around the 11 o’clock position, which time of both will give a musical result.
matches the other two oscillators. correlates with No 4 on the legend. Adjust to suit your music or playing style.

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Ten Great Things about
the Minimoog

Some of the greatest songs, artists and icons that all owe
a huge debt to Bob Moog’s wonderful mono

Getty 02 GARY NUMAN
Gary Numan arrived at a studio with
01 WENDY CARLOS the intention of making a punk album.
Apart from being an incredible musician, Located in a shadowy corner of the control
Wendy Carlos was a long-time collaborator room, was a Minimoog, switched on and ready
with Bob Moog. While the creation of Carlos’ Switched to trigger. Numan walked over to the machine,
on Bach album, and subsequent spin-off albums, was played a note, and the entire room shook! By
centred around an early Moog Modular, the feedback complete chance, the previous Minimoog user
she offered to Moog at the musical level was had left the synth on a sound that inspired
imperative for influencing the design of the Numan to such a degree, his musical course
Minimoog. It was the perfect blend of music and altered immediately. The Mini is the sound of his
electronics that gave rise to this classic synth. infamous track Are ‘Friends’ Electric? and synth
pop was born.

03 PROG ROCK/RICK
WAKEMAN
As well as owning many capes in

many colours, Rick Wakeman has been the user
of many Minimoogs, with up to nine Minis being
owned at one time. During his epic shows,
several Minis could be seen lined up, patched
and ready for keyboard action. His extraordinary
virtuosic playing, coupled with a genuine love of
this classic analogue, meant that Minimoogs
could frequently be heard in a soloistic capacity,
on much of Rick’s solo output, as well as on his
albums while a member of Prog-pioneers Yes.

04 24DB/4-POLE LADDER
FILTER
While the Mini’s artistic credentials

span far and wide, it is the many technical
innovations that were way ahead of their time,
forging a path where other companies would
follow. At the very heart of this was the Moog
Ladder filter, with its 24dB/4-pole design, which
became the sound that these other companies
wanted to emulate. It can sound sweet and

Numan and a Minimoog changed the course of history

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 21

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George Duke was
legendary for his
Minimoog sound

Kraftwerk’s Autobahn featured Moogs a-plenty

harsh; something for every musical eventuality,
and with a whole load of character.

05 KRAFTWERK – Getty
AUTOBAHN
Techno-pioneers Kraftwerk made 09HERBIE HANCOCK, CHICK
COREA, GEORGE DUKE
extensive use of the Minimoog which, during AND FRIENDS!
their early career, was the only synthesiser they
had. The architecture of the Mini, with its three The Minimoog inspired many keyboard players, but
VCOs, allowed them to create chords, providing the inspiration of the instrument extended
the harmonic backbone for their throughout the jazz and funk community. There are
groundbreaking concept album Autobahn. so many that we don’t have space to name them all,
When they played live, they would frequently but three of the finest virtuosi from this era include
have issues with sound systems which would Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and George Duke.
often struggle to handle the Moog’s low end Their extraordinary playing of the instrument ranged
content, without blowing speakers. from funky basses to the most lyrical of improvised
leads, against a musical backdrop which takes in so
06 OVERDRIVE – many other legends, including Stevie Wonder. Not a
HEADPHONE LOOP bad roll-call for a 50-year-old monosynth!
Despite being more than 50 years

old, the original Minimoog continues to inspire.
As the original offered no capacity for saving
patches, it invited experimentation, and it was
this endeavour that resulted in the legendary
overdrive loop, where the headphone output
would feed the external input. The resulting
distortion was so inspirational, it can often be
implemented in many software versions of the
Mini, cable-free!

07 DR DRE
As one of the most respected artists in
rap and hip-hop, Dr Dre is totally
unapologetic for his love of early funk, with
Parliament cited as one of Dre’s most influential
bands. Keyboardist and producer Bernie Worrell
was the keyboard player with both Parliament
and Funkadelic, and is often credited as being
one of the leading Minimoog pioneers of the
funk era. Hardly surprising then, that Dre picked
up the Minimoog baton, for searing leads and
deep basses.

08 MICHAEL JACKSON – Minimoog for the bass sound, making it one of and wide, but not just musically. The construct
THRILLER the most iconic basslines of all time, and played and signal path of the Mini set the blueprint for a
One of the most iconic hits of the 70s entirely on the Mini. Just add Vincent Price for considerable number of synths to follow. So
scary tension! many companies wanted their own Minimoog,
disco era was Heatwave’s Boogie Nights. Written but Bob had set the bar so very high that it was
by the band’s British keyboard player Rod 10 INSPIRATION! the toughest of acts to follow. Influential
Temperton, their sound and style came to the The Minimoog has gone down in innovation followed, giving diversity of sound
attention of producer Quincy Jones. He invited history; it is arguably the most iconic and design, but it was the Mini that lit the touch-
Temperton to work with him on an album for synth of all time, but its inspiration reaches far paper, sealing its status forever.
Michael Jackson, called Thriller. Temperton
penned the title track, which also features the

22 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

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Classic Minimoog Listen and you decide…
v software & iOS
Minimoog: So We have several audio examples from all three of our Moogs for you to listen to (download
what do we think? them from filesilo.co.uk). Our software signals have been generated within the DAW, with the
hardware and iPad versions being played directly into a high-quality audio interface, with no
In an attempt to draw comparisons between the additional hardware. No smoke or mirrors! Just unadulterated clean Mini audio.
various incarnations of Minimoog, we decided
to work on a variety of sonic tests, from working In most cases we’ve attempted to play the same thing so comparisons will be as close to
with waves to filter movement and creating real- ‘like with like’ as possible. The audio is as follows (from each of our three ‘Moogs’).
world musical examples.
1. SAW – raw with wide open filter
Mapping every facet of one Mini iteration to 2. SQUARE – raw with wide open filter
another is actually more difficult than you might 3. SHARKTOOTH – raw with wide open filter
expect. Subtle, and in some cases not-so-subtle 4. 3 OSC (2 SAW + 1 SQUARE SUB) – raw with wide open filter
variation from one control to the next, presents 5. FILTER SWEEP – 20% Resonance - sweep modulated via Envelope (Counter Generator)
a challenge, which you could argue follows the 6. BASS RIFF (2 SAW + 1 SQUARE SUB) – sharp attack and decay, applied to Filter
traits of the analogue classic, where one unit
would differ from the next. Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
document with the identities revealed. Let us know what you think at computermusic@
In all cases, we kept the signal as futurenet.com (but don’t just say you loved the hardware when you find out what it is!).
unadulterated as possible, which in the case of
the software, was quite difficult to do. This
underlies the importance of the backend colour,
which is often added to the Minimoog, when in
use. Distortion, feedback loops and other
gratifying elements that might be layered with
the initial sound are important, in production
terms, and it is important to remember this,
once you pick up the Mini-mantle.

“The Minimoog

hardware reissue is a

thing of unbridled joy”

Continuing the hardware v software
discussion, the convenience of a Minimoog in
software form is undeniable. It’s there when you
want it, with the ability to save patches, but the
allure of the hardware may well offer a better
sound, which is often one of the reasons cited
for exploring the hardware route.

On each one of our Minis we can definitely
note the following. The Minimoog hardware
reissue is a thing of unbridled joy. The fantastic
Moog build quality, coupled with the genuine
Moog analogue circuitry personifies the nature
of the problematic question that we face. While
it undoubtedly sounds like the real deal, it is the
interface and tactile elegance of the form that
draws you in. You feel immediately creative,
when you start to play it, being empowered by
its sonic depths and charisma.

However, the Arturia Mini V does an
incredibly good job of pretending to be an
original, and the reality is that once it’s in the
mix, you would probably never know. There are
a number of enhancements, and certainly the
pot calibration is very different, but this is only in
direct comparison to the hardware.

Meanwhile, the Moog app is more exacting in
detail, with a lovely halfway house in terms of its
tactile nature, thanks to the touchscreen
working ethic. It also sounds very engaging,
constrained only by the iOS device itself. We
would definitely recommend investing in both
MIDI and Audio interfacing for your device, if
this becomes a regular go-to for you.

As for which sounds best, see the box (right)
for more details.

Turn the page for the start of an Odyssey…

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 23

> make synth music now / classics v software

ARP Odyssey v
GForce Oddity v
ARP Odyssei

Our second mono to take on its equivalent
desktop and iOS software is the ‘other’ 70s classic,
the ARP Odyssey. This not only went toe to toe
with the Minimoog in that decade, but featured in
many a synth pop classic (thanks to just one man),
and its forefathers even took on a bunch of aliens,
twice… and won!

ARP were founded by Alan Robert from all three of these considerations. The company’s next synth, the ARP 2600 was
Pearlman plus cofounders Lewis G. Pollock The first thing to do was to invest in decent era-, tech- and synth-defining. It was portable
and David Friend in 1969. As the main force (OK, not that portable), had three oscillators,
behind the company, Alan got to use his oscillator research, the fundamental core built-in speakers and its own spring reverb.
initials as the company name (so much better ingredient of synthesis, and the one variable Much loved by everyone from Stevie Wonder to
than LGP or DF would have panned out). that you could design to be not so variable and Underworld, it went through less than ten
He also set out a clear direction for the so stay in tune. The first fruits of this stability revisions over a ten-year period, and only sold
company: to produce affordable – well, for came in the form of the 1970 released ARP 2500, around 3,000 units, but made such an impact
the time anyway – stable and practical a hit with universities and research facilities (the that it is being emulated widely to this day by
synthesisers, realising that the modular main synth users of the time) and also with a Korg and others in hardware, and many more in
systems of the 60s were a million miles away certain alien species (see Ten Great ARP software. In fact it will get its very own feature
Appearances on p34).

24 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

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like this one over coming months, but now to attempt to explain (it’s not as easy as it Other ways to get
the start of the Odyssey’s, er, odyssey… should be). the Odyssey sound

The Odyssey begins Odyssey versions: 3 into 1 As with the paid-for software,
there aren’t nearly as many
As successful as Pearlman’s first forays into The Odyssey actually had three distinct freeware Odysseys around as
you might think, and many of
commercially-available synthesisers were, versions, each luckily signified with easy to these have seen better days or
are not now available from their
Moog’s Minimoog, first released in 1969 (and recognise colours, although there was a period original developer sites.
Roberson Audio Synthesisers, for
discussed on p18) was becoming a runaway between the different marked versions where example, produced Oddy Free
back in the day but it’s only now
success so, not surprisingly, Pearlman wanted in the colours crossed over, so you can’t 100% rely available on an archive site at
http://web.archive.org/
on the action, and the ARP Odyssey was born. on one colour meaning one version. But web/20131227220621/http://
robersonaudio.tk/oddy-free/. It’s
The Odyssey was (and indeed is, as we shall generally the MkI can be considered the white PC only and based on the MkII
rarer filter model as discussed in
see) a two-oscillator synth with both VCOs (saw one, the MkII was black and gold, and the MkIII, the main text. Similarly
Elektrostudio’s ODsay is another
or square and with sync) on the left, each orange and black. great looker, but only 32-bit PC
and available at plugins4free.
featuring Coarse- and Fine-tuning sliders. As is The MkI Odyssey arrived in 1972 (model com. There are a couple more but
again only 32-bit, PC and old.
standard these days, although not perhaps at 2800) aimed at being a more compact version
In fact the only other ‘proper’
the time, you then move into filter, mixer, amp of the ARP 2600. The 4023 filter on this model software Odyssey you can get is
Korg’s own ARP Odyssey, a
and envelope sections, although the Odyssey was 2-pole voltage controlled. The MkII came recreation of the hardware one
we have been using here,
features loads of extras to give its sound the edge. out two years later, featuring that colour change complete with the three filters
and Drive circuitry. It comes with
The duophonic nature, noise, ring mod and (in the main) and with a new 4035 4-pole VCF 200 presets and uses Korg’s
proprietary CMT (Component
sample and hold already give it a truly unique filter (again, ‘in the main’ as some still feature Modeling Technology) to
“emulate the feel and sound of
character but there’s more. the original filter!). the hardware as closely as
possible”. It’s a great option if
The core oscillators have After clashing with you can’t stretch to the Oddity
Moog over the or hardware versions also on
“Famous users areextras like FM and Pulse test here.

Width options and the FM original filter In terms of hardware, there’s
designs, ARP the modular route (where you
many and variedsections of each can be can create version your own with
modulated: VCO1 by sine or changed the 4035 modules by various companies)
filter to a 4075 or the clone market, dominated
square waves, Sample & from Elton to ABBA during the MkII by Behringer and in this case
their own Odyssey.
Hold or ADSR; OSC2
These three freeware Odysseys do work
replaces the square wave period, which was but only on older PCs sadly
retained in the
and, of course, Jarre”with Pedal or S/M mixer

modulation. The Pulse MkIII which arrived

Width sections can each also be modulated by in 1978 (the 4035 MkII is still the most sought-

the LFO or ADSR. after version). The synth remained in

In addition to the two oscillators you also get production until 1980 and, like

a switchable pink or white noise generator. The its predecessor only sold around 3,000 units,

next LFO section has a Frequency slider and but like the ARP 2600, it too certainly made

two more sliders controlling the output from its mark.

VCO1 (with two sources) and VCO2 (or noise) Famous users are many and varied with

entering the S/H mixer. Stevie Wonder one of the first ARP fans, but

In the mixer section you can simply adjust followed by everyone from ABBA to Elton John,

levels of the sources and how the filter reacts to Human League to Herbie Hancock, Ultravox to

the S/H mixer/pedal, LFO or envelope (of course) Jean-Michel Jarre.

generators. Then there’s the most important The Fender v Gibson of
section: the filters, with VCF Filter and synths
Resonance controls for a low-pass option and a

High Pass Frequency Cutoff Frequency slider. And the synth achieved what Pearlman set out

This was the most changeable section on the to do: rival the Minimoog. The success of both

Odyssey as it developed, as we shall now synth giants ignited a kind of 70s ‘Blur vs Oasis’

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 25

> make synth music now / classics v software

battle – or more aptly perhaps, Fender v Gibson “In 2015, Korg started pretty easy to do from scratch – we tended to
– that still rages (on certain forums anyway) to use both oscillators with a slight amount of
this day. Which was best monosynth of the 70s, producing their own detuning and turn to the mixer straightaway to
the Minimoog or the ARP Odyssey? (And like hear them in isolation. That way you can then
the media tried to stir up a similar ‘who is the ARP, reproducing the focus on each one to create your sound.
best, Westlife or Take That?’ debate, a similar
rivalry sprung up in synth circles in the late 80s original to a tee” We then start exploring modulation options
when the Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7 took to a bit by bringing in LFOs, envelopes and
the stage. And looking back, who really cared?) It is indeed an amazing emulation of the exploring the S-H options. The results are
Odyssey with all the modern bells and whistles identical to the original synth – with just as
The truth of course, of any comparison added (although you can even keep it real in outlandish journeys very quickly possible when
between these two monster monos is that both duo- and monophonic modes). Importantly it you start introducing more variation between
synths have their good and bad bits (well, good also boasts all three of the filters found in the the oscillators – modulating one, perhaps and
bits anyway) and, very generally speaking, the three Odyssey versions and it’s fair to say we introducing more movement while the other
ARP is still the king of tearing leads while the liked it: “GForce have surpassed our stays more stable. Things can get very
Moog will always deliver the best bass. If you expectations with the second coming of their unpredictable, although because these are new
are a fan of classic synths – and have deeper flagship synth,” we said in our original review. components, you perhaps don’t get quite the
pockets than us – you’ll take one of each then. “Oddity was almost perfect before, but this is an unpredictability of the original. However, all
That’ll probably set you back a good five-figure upgrade that simply can’t be missed.” We reviews at the time expressed how close this
sum, or you could opt for the remakes and concluded: “A spot-on emulation of the classic Korg/ARP hardware is to the original, and it’s
software emulations. And here they are… ARP Odyssey in its various incarnations, with really the comparisons with the Oddity and
some very well thought-out new features.” And Odyssei that we’re interested in so more
New kids on the ARP block then heaped a 10/10 score on it. comparisons are made and similar sounds
programmed across each which we have
With the success of the ARP Odyssey back in Hard as Arps recorded for you to hear (and ultimately make
the 70s and 80s and its many appearances on your decision!).
so many iconic tracks, you’d expect a glut of In 2015 Korg started producing their own
copycat software emulations but there is a Odyssey, or – as it turned out – effectively The final Odyssei
surprisingly small number available. Retro started reproducing the original, so that it is our
Machines by Native Instruments touches on it, hardware contender for this feature. Along with The last piece of our triple ARP celebration
but not directly, and there were quite a few old original ARP co founder David Friend, Korg comes by way of the iOS Korg/ARP Odyssei.
attempts in the freeware world and Korg’s own reproduced a single synth (albeit in various This came out in late 2016 and, again, scored
software recreation (see Other ways to get the sizes and rack versions) that does everything very well all around. You could see it as an iOS
Odyssey sound box). But the first – and many the original is capable of, but also includes all version of Korg’s hardware recreation of ARP’s
would say best – software emulation came by three filter types from the various versions plus original, but let’s just see it as a great ARP
way of GForce Software, and their Oddity, a drive circuit to add extra grit. emulation, again with some extras.
now at version 2, is our Odyssey desktop
software contender. The model we have in for this feature is the You can switch between those three filter
mini keys version but its controls are laid out types again and unlike the duophonic hardware,
Released in 2002 – yes soft synths were pretty identically to the original synth and Odyssei has monophonic, duophonic and
around then – the original Mk1 GForce Oddity indeed it sounds as good as that original albeit polyphonic modes. There’s also a 16-step
perfectly captured the character of the original with the added extra filter controls. arpeggiator, six effects and X/Y pads for real-
ARP. Oddity 2 arrived a full 12 years later – it’s time manual manipulation. But it all comes
fair to say that GForce like to take their time to As with the original, we won’t be dialling in down to the sound and on this we said in our
get things right. But get it right they do. Oddity 2 presets, but creating sounds from scratch or review, “Odyssei sounds tremendous, doing a
added polyphony and bolstered the mono copying those from the manual. We also had stellar job of recreating those famously edgy
mode with legato triggering modes. It also quite a bit of fun recreating sounds on the oscillators and that razor sharp low-pass filter
beefed up the modulation options with an hardware that replicate those on Oddity and the serving as a powerful source of basses, leads,
X-LFO and X-ADSR section, added a sub iOS app Odyssei. Programming the hardware is pads and sci-fi style FX.”
oscillator for extra bass clout and included
several other nice touches along with a So that’s the history and our line-up. Time for
mountain of fabulous presets. some fun facts and how to recreate some epic
ARP sounds in software.

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Create a classic ARP sound patch

As Billy Currie steals half the slots in our ‘Ten Great ARP things’ list, it’s only fair we share his best
sound, and it’s pretty easy to recreate (with a little live tweaking anyway)

> Step by step 1. The Billy Currie lead

1 We’re going to create a couple of 2 It’s surprisingly easy to get the core 3 We already have a nice blend of the
classic Odyssey sounds now. You can Currie sound but it’s what you do oscillators and the fat sound you want.
use any of the three Odyssey types you with it that counts. You’ll need to initialise Now you can introduce a slight bit of
wish or even the freeware ones your synth which in the hardware’s case detuning between one and the other to
mentioned previously, as the could simply mean: do nothing or set all thicken the sound from the off.
programming tips should transfer to iOS, sliders to zero. In Oddity’s case, load up a
desktop or hardware. We’re using Oddity. Default sound.

4 If you want to boost the volume 5 Currie is very well known for some 6 Now set mixer levels. VCOs 1 and 2
quickly (or if you get too many great solos that always use a lot of should be level with one another and
squeals and want to cut it) then just use portamento between notes so make sure high, and also introduce a little, but not
the VCA slider – the one to the right of this slider is set at a third up (at least) to too much, noise. You’ll also need to set the
the mixer. get that swirling, note-sliding effect. Sync switch for both oscillators to On.

7 Oscillator controls are central or at a 8 Now it’s a matter of ‘playing’ sliders as 9 Now with your third hand,
minimum – for now! On the Oddity you play notes to get a distinctive simultaneously operate the FM slider
these are as they would be when you load Currie-like movement. Slide the Course on VCO1. That’s why Currie is so good – he
in a default sound, but for any other Tune control of VCO2 up and down while has three hands (but you can also use
Odyssey, set them as shown. In the Filter playing notes. Experiment with changing automation!). It’s all about movement
section set VCF Freq at a max and Res at this control both before and after you while you play, so experiment with other
a minimum. Set the HPF slider at a strike a note. parameters too.
minimum too.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 27

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The ARP Odyssey can do bass (and lasers)

It might have been known more for its tearing leads but the Odyssey is more than capable of
creating hefty basses too. Here we recreate a big one in Oddity

> Step by step 2. Going low on the ARP

1 Again we’re using the Oddity which 2 The sound is a bit buzzy as both 3 All bass sounds have a fast Attack and
comes with its own stunning basses, oscillators are set to sawtooth, so let’s quick release so set your main AR
but just to demo how to create them (on notch them both down to squarewave in Envelope controls as such (Attack at zero,
whatever ARP you use), we’ll show you the mixer section for a more rounded Release at 1/3 max) if they are not already.
how to create one from scratch. Load a (squared!) sound.
Default (initialised) sound.

4 Now to choose your filter type. On all 5 As to which one you choose, this is 6 The Odyssei and Oddity’s filters are
three of our ARPs we’re blessed with entirely dependent on the bass sound opposite one another – Oddity’s MkII
the ability to choose from one of the you require. In our experimenting we filter at the top, Odyssei’s at the bottom.
original filter types on the hardware. You found the 4075 and 4035 to be livelier You can get many a bass sound from any
can switch them by clicking on the Filter and more Acid-like, and Korg themselves filter but we’ve gone with the 4075 on the
slider/switch and slightly nudging it down have used the 4075 for their Acid preset Oddity. Now slide the Resonance control
or up (tap with your finger on the iPad). on the Odyssei. up and you have an instant laser sound!

7 Your VCF Frequency and Resonance 8 You can further shape the filter’s 9 Now experiment with these ADSR
controls are really your ultimate impact of the sound by shaping the sliders and you will hear a more subtle
sound shapers at this point so bring the ADSR, bottom right of the UI which shaping of the sound which allows
Resonance down from that laser and effectively controls how long it takes to gradual movement if the Attack slider is
experiment with Frequency. Generally, engage. Switch on the ADSR option. This high or more impact if lower. As we’re
lower down gives you more punch and will now allow a more subtle control over after a punchy bass sound, the above
higher up more width and brightness. the filter using the ADSR sliders. settings work for us.
We’re going punchy.

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Ten Great ARP appearances

OK, not all of these are directly about the ARP Odyssey,
but some are just too good not to mention…

01 THE FIRST SYNTH TOGetty 02 THE FIRST SYNTH
GREET ALIENS Getty VOICED BY ALIENS
The scenario might be the stuff of fantasy: If you think ARP’s alien connection is

aliens make contact with humans atop the strange pretty cool with Close Encounters, then the sci-fi
Devil’s Tower (actual place). But in what is probably story continues with R2-D2, possibly the most
the greatest idea anyone could have ever, the famous robot in our galaxy’s history and –
humans’ first reaction is to play them some synth because we’re actually starting to believe that
music on an ARP 2500. We think the finest thing you the whole Star Wars saga actually happened –
could do to ease into a relationship would be to play that of a galaxy far, far away. Yes, he/she/it/they
some early Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre – spoke ‘ARP’! The diminutive star of Star Wars
we do exactly this when we form relationships with (and the real star if you think about it) was
other humans, so know what we’re talking about – voiced by an ARP 2600. We can only assume
and top marks for whoever thought of this. The ARP that ARP’s PR company must have been very
2500 plays the famous ‘da da da, do, daa’ theme closely involved with Hollywood at the time. To
which [SPOILER ALERT] the aliens like so much, they have your synth involved in one iconic sci-fi film
decide to return some people who they’d essentially is lucky, but two? Careless…
kidnapped, and then take some replacements just for
good measure (and probably hugely painful genetic 03 ANYTHING BY BILLY
experiments). Would the same thing have happened CURRIE
if Bieber had been blaring through the speakers? Visage, Numan and Ultravox – as we

shall see here – all owe a huge debt to the ARP
Odyssey and its finest ever player, Billy Currie,
who deserves his own slot in our Ten ARP
appearances, in addition to some of these act’s
tracks. In short, Currie did more for 70s and
80s synth playing – and ARP’s own PR – than
pretty much any other keyboard player, taking
what is essentially a simple synth by today’s
standards, and wrestling so many different
sounds, solos and emotions from it, you’d think
he was using a giant bank of many a module. “I
just like the honky, mad sound,” he once told
Electricity Club.

04 GARY NUMAN – ON
BROADWAY (LIVE) AKA
BILLY CURRIE PART 2

Numan is really known more for his Moogs,
Polys in particular – those classic strings defined
his sound in the late 70s/early 80s – but he
made special use of the Odyssey when he

Billy Currie at the controls of his most famous of synths,
but what band was he in at the time? Who knows?

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 29

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employed Billy Currie on his 1979 Living
Ornaments tour. Incredibly, given his stark and
alien output up to this point, Numan decided to
cover On Broadway, a ‘smooth jazz’ song
originally recorded by The Drifters. This live
version was then released with one of the best
ARP solos ever – Billy Currie wrestling a range
from the ARP never heard before or since, with
Chris Payne’s Polymoog joining forces for one of
the finest synth segments in any song ever
committed to tape, let alone performed live.
Check it out from 1:50 on the YouTube for a
screaming, howling idea of what the Odyssey is
capable of (in the right hands, of course).

05 ULTRAVOX – 09THE RADIOPHONIC
ASTRADYNE AKA BILLY WORKSHOP
CURRIE PART 3 The Radiophonic Workshop was a crazily

Ultravox had started to home in on an underfunded disorganisation at the heart of the BBC
electronic sound in their first incarnation with which made use of any old gear (oft found in skips)
John Foxx leading the band from its art house to make some of the most incredible music. The Dr
roots down a more synth route. Their keyboard Who theme (credited to Ron Grainer but realised by
player Currie had invested in an Odyssey in 1977 Delia Derbyshire, who should have been given more
and took its sound into the Mark 2 line-up credit) is the most famous example. In this clip it’s
fronted by Midge Ure. Astradyne is from this recreated in 1980 by a CS-80 and ARP Odyssey for
incarnation’s debut album, Vienna, and while the the ‘oo-wee-you’ bit. The ARP wasn’t used on the
Odyssey was used on many tracks (including original – Derbyshire created it with the Radiophonic
the title) from that album, it features with a huge Workshop equivalent of tin cans and a piece of
solo on this track from around 4 and half string, making it all the more remarkable – but we
minutes, almost guitar-like in its structure. In love the charm of this clip. Check out the great Arena
fact, Currie told Electricity Club in that 2012
interview: “It is a very good, strong keyboard
part. I used to say at the time: ‘Only a guitarist
could come up with that!’ I meant that as a
good thing!”

06 VISAGE – FADE TO GREY
AKA BILLY CURRIE
PART 4

Look, around 1979 to 1981, Billy Currie did the
rounds, OK? We’re doubtful whether even he
knows what band he was in during this period,
but wherever he was, Currie took his Odyssey
with him. While we’re not 100% sure that it was
used as the main intro riff of this classic, we are
sure that the synth was used across many tracks
on Visage’s debut album (Visage). Plus we also
found a great video of a bloke on YouTube
demoing how you can use an Odyssey to
play the intro to Fade To Grey. So that’s good
enough for us.

07 ABBA – GIMME! GIMME! docu-drama about Derbyshire on BBC iPlayer too.
GIMME! (A MAN AFTER bit.ly/CM_radioph
MIDNIGHT)

Phew, an entry without a mention of Billy Currie.

And, of course, you can give us ‘A Man After

Midnight’ any time… as long as they arrive with

an ARP Odyssey. (What happens if they arrive

before midnight is anyone’s guess though.) Yes 08 70S COP SHOW TV And Hawaii 5-0 used a Roland. No, it didn’t really.
ABBA, aka the greatest pop band ever, used an THEMES
Odyssey on Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!. We reckon We love 70s cop shows here at 10 KRAFTWERK (OF
it was the main lead although there is also a COURSE) – THE ROBOTS
synth bass used in the song. You can see Benny Computer Music, mostly because they Yes it’s Kraftwerk, yes they used synths.
playing what looks like a MkII Odyssey mounted employed the synths of the time for a more

on top of two other keyboards in the official crazy-sounding usage. The Rockford Files And the ARP Odyssey was used all across their

video, filmed in the ABBA studio during the ‘we-ooh, we-oh, we-oh, we-oh’ main lead was by Man Machine album, from which this track

song’s recording. And while we’re on the subject, all accounts (aka the internet) a Minimoog, while came. The synth is undoubtedly responsible for

great to see ABBA come back with a full album ARP worshippers can turn to Ironside’s TV the more whooping sounds on this track and

and it had some cracking tracks on it too, theme which employs an ARP Odyssey to create others and, of course, the K-boys also employed

although we’d have liked a bit more synth action a cop-style siren. Not the synth’s best ever use an army of Moogs at their Kling Klang Studios.

– care of an ARP Odyssey, of course. But ABBA but Quincy Jones was responsible so who are There was no such thing as Moog Vs ARP for

coming back together after four decades away? we to argue? You see, the Moog vs ARP thing them; they had it all, or simply invented what

Who’d have thought? even translated to 70s TV cop shows. Brilliant. they didn’t have.

30 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

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Classic ARP Listen and you decide…

Odyssey v We have several audio examples from all three of our ARPs for you to listen to (download
them from filesilo.co.uk). We recorded each synth clean, the Odyssei and Korg/ARP directly
software Oddity v into Live, no effects, and the Oddity running within Live as a standard software instrument.
Where possible, we tried to replicate front panel controls, although this would not always
iOS ARP ODYSSEi: (usually, actually) work, so don’t expect sounds to be identical (small incremental changes on
many front panel Odyssey sliders can make a big difference!). Instead we’re brushing in
So what do bigger strokes with sounds of the same type as follows:

we think? 1. DUOPHONIC LEAD ON ALL THREE – demonstrating some movement and layering
2. SIMILAR BASS – demonstrating some layering
This feature is not really intended to conclude 3. CLASSIC ARP ODYSSEY LEAD – with portamento
whether hardware is better than software, more 4. CLASSIC, CLEAN ARP BASS
to celebrate the fact that we have so many
options available to play and record these Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
classic instruments, and to give some idea of document with the identities revealed. Let us know what you think at computermusic@
which tasks we think each is more suited to. And futurenet.com
we’ll let you decide which sounds you think are
best, with some recordings for you to download MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 31
and compare. However, we have noted some
conclusions while comparing these three ARP
options which we do think are worth sharing.

On the iOS Odyssei we were genuinely
excited by how good it sounds next to the real
thing. Same goes for the Oddity, but the surprise
was greater with the Odyssei, perhaps as we set
our expectations lower. It does annoy with fiddly
controls and you will benefit from larger iPads,
but it’s a fantastic mobile synth.

One surprising aspect of the hardware,
although it shouldn’t really have been, is just
how inviting a front panel full of sliders is, after
using software for all of this time. Just having
the option to move more than one controller at
the same time and hear the sound change in an
instant is great, as is actually touching and
feeling a ‘thing’. This one is harder to explain, but
we have the same feeling whenever we play a
piano: just having a physical instrument (more
so in a piano’s case as the sound is emanating
from it) you feel more at one with it. Without
wishing to get too spiritual about it, software
does, almost by definition, have a detachment
about it that will never be removed, even with
the best of MIDI and DAW controllers. However,
software does of course have other advantages…

Saving sounds is not something that can be
done with an original or Korg/ARP hardware
Odyssey, and nor perhaps should it – that’s not
the point! But it does get a little frustrating when
you feel you have to take a photo of the front
panel to recall it later, especially if you are as
used to saving a sound with a mouse click as, of
course, we are. However, that one sound can
inspire a lot. We found that just by having the
ARP plugged into Live (especially) we’d just play
loops and riffs and these would, perhaps
because of their sheer sonic power, but more so
their movement and potential dynamic, inspire
lots more tunes. These riffs would become the
centrepiece of many new pieces and simply
having that hands-on control over what you are
recording was inspirational in itself.

Our conclusions then? Well, in the end we’d
record the ARP, use it to inspire, and then,
perhaps bizarrely, bolster it with the Oddity. In
fact we probably have an entire album’s worth
of electronic Odyssey-based tracks in the bag –
purely a blend of hardware and software
Odyssey – the perfect mix of hardware and
software. And that says it all really.

Now turn the page as we do it all again with
the Roland SH-101.

Roland SH-101

In the 1980s, the price of synthesisers started to plummet
(albeit from a fairly astronomical height). One of the first
and definitely the most famous – and one you could also
wear – was produced by one of the big Japanese names
cashing in on the synth craze, and became one of the
most iconic monos ever. Enter the Roland SH-101…

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During the early 80s, microchip tenure. In reality, using it as a keytar was a

technology was touching every aspect of nightmare; with no patch memories, you would

human life. We were not quite at the stage have to set the patch before going for a

where our fridge-freezers could order our keyboard-based wander, only to find that the

shopping for us, but the switch to chip moment you strapped in, you’d most likely

circuitry was having a very positive effect on knock the faders out of shape, as you moved

the price of music technology. about, requiring immediate readjustment,

Just a few years previous, you couldn’t buy a before or during playing!

synthesiser for less than several hundred quid, However, for the more studio bound, the 101’s

but the Japanese giants of music technology signal path began with a Voltage Controlled

world would have a thing or two to say about Oscillator (VCO). As technology had marched Boomstar 8106 is a 101-type box

that in this decade. The original Roland Jupiter on, this VCO had been placed under digital Roland SH-01A is even more 101 like

series once commanded four-figure price tags, control, meaning that you heard all of the Other ways to get
the 101 sound
but Roland then found a way of shrinking the analogue depth, but with reliable tuning, at least
The SH-101 resides in a place
tech into a form that would make it much after a few minutes of warm up time. which is a world away from the
American synth models. While
cheaper, and used that knowledge in the more the Moog and ARP machines
offered a colour which has
modestly-priced Juno series. Even so, it was still Deeper 101 become synonymous with
America, the Roland machines
several hundred pounds a pop, so when the The VCO offered three oscillator tones, plus seem to have become linked with
Europe, obviously via Japan,
SH-101 appeared with a street price of around white noise, which could be comfortably from where the 101 originated.

£199, it was something of a revolution. Here was blended together to form the sound you The 101 can sound deep,
characterful and crisp, and in
a monosynth that you could really get on board required. The fundamental saw wave was the searching out hardware (there’s
very little else out there in
with. It boasted an immediacy in sound, and bedrock, with an accompanying square wave, software) the Roland SH-01A, in
boutique form, is a great place to
that sound was huge considering its size. which was open to pulse width modulation. But begin. If you yearn for something
bigger and more flexible, the
The SH-101 adopted the SH pedigree from the secret sonic weapon could be summoned Roland System series machines
will be worth seeking out,
previous Roland monosynths, such as the SH-2 from the depths, in the shape of a sub-oscillator. offering a fully formed interface
which reacts according to the
and SH-09, while shifting to the adoption of a This heavyweight tone shored up the Plug-out model that you wish to
work with; the System 8 is
number which aligned itself fundamental pitch, something of an underestimated
workhouse, in our view.
with other machines in their and could be placed
either one or two Meanwhile, those clever folks
“Batteries allowedrange, such as the TR-808, at Studio Electronics have ripped
the filter chip from the 101 (and
TR-606 and TB-303. The keyboard players to octaves below the others) to form a desktop synth
303 has acquired cult main pitch. with huge character and amazing
bang for buck. The all-analogue
status, and while there are While the filter Boomstar 8106 is an incredible
was functional in sounding box, re-imagining the
wander free, turningconsiderable differences 101 in an altogether more flexible
between the 303 and the 101, context, it was also form. Equipped with two ADSR
envelopes and syncable LFO, the
they can often have a fairly fierce and self- only difference occurs at the
oscillating, inspiring front of the signal chain, where
the 101 into a keytar”similar sound, depending on two oscillators and a sub can be
tuned like a 101, or detuned for a
the musical context. many artists and thicker texture. It’s not cheap, but
it will give cheaper clones one
Keytar favourite producers to employ the resultant sine wave in hell of a roast, while also being
isolation. It was perfect for 808 style bass built to last.

Built from a grey plastic, the original 101 was drums, while offering tracking, so could easily

powered by an external DC power supply, or operate as a bass sound in its own right. This

you could fill it with batteries, should you want became something of a calling card for hip hop,

to go native! This allowed keyboard players to R’n’B and the emerging jungle/drum & bass

wander free, as the 101 had additional producers.

accessories such as a mod-grip, which would Not to be outdone, the rave producers also

essentially turn it into a Keytar, and one that discovered that it could do a pretty decent

adorned many R’n’B videos during its tech impersonation of a 303, thanks to its basic step

The SH-101 not only sounds big, but
was available in different colours

and you could wear it. What more do
you want?

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 33

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sequencing capability, and a filter that squealed TAL Bassline 101 and Roland Cloud’s SH-101 are two of the surprisingly few software 101 options
to perfection.
“We’re comparing TAL plugin certainly talks the 101 talk. It is
It’s therefore little surprise that this humble also available for MacOS, Windows and Linux,
and affordable little synth has since become a digital 101s with an with the ability to store patches and sync to
member of the synthesiser hall-of-fame, with a a host DAW. The interface is incredibly
secondhand price tag which is currently around original, with all of its respectful of the original, and very familiar for
five times its original price. anyone who is a familiar devotee of the Roland
analogue insecurities” signal path. Coming in at £50, it’s a great
The new 101s alternative to the Roland models, with slightly
would place another respected piece of different functionality.
However, after much petitioning and a software alongside, to see how it compares. The
recognition that the public had an appetite for TAL-Bassline-101 is billed as a very accurate We’re going to power them all up and let
the Roland of yesteryear, the company that clone of the vintage original. Complete with them take a bow, with audio from each that will
brought us the original produced a new version onboard sequencer and ability to play let you decide which ticks your 101 box. In the
of the 101, in a number of formats. The first to monophonically or with up to six voices, the meanwhile, enjoy some tutorials and facts on
appear was the SH-101 Plug Out, which is the 101 while we make our comparisons. We’ll
flexibly designed to operate as a plugin for DAW even record some audio from each so you can
based operation, or to be dropped into one of compare and contrast yourself.
Roland’s accompanying hardware products,
such as the System 1 or System 8. This is a
digital facsimile of the original, which has also
now migrated to their Boutique product line, for
anyone who wants the bespoke 101 experience.
As these digital models are intrinsically
identical, we’ll be comparing the 101 plugin with
an original SH-101, with all of its analogue
insecurities and imperfections.

Of course, where the software can
immediately trump the vintage original is with a
host of extra functions. You can play up to four
notes polyphony, and also save your own
patches and presets – never an option for the
original. The software also features an extensive
set of effects, and most importantly, you can
switch panel colours, from grey, to blue and red!

In a more recent update, the 101 also features
as part of Roland’s Zen Core technology,
allowing flexible usage within their Zenology
software and associated hardware products.
While the software has been enhanced, we’re
going to stick with the original Roland ACB Plug
Out emulation, also mirrored in the SH-01A
boutique model, thereby offering the best of
Roland’s current hard and soft worlds.

Outside of Roland’s Cloud

With all of these 101 options, we thought we

101 connectivity Kenton’s USB Solo offers
your 101 interfacing
Just like any other hardware, getting a
vintage SH-101 will require a degree of needs in a reliable box
accompanying setup, such as an audio
interface. It is also pre MIDI, but very reliably Xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx
works under CV & Gate control; in fact it is a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
very good performer in this setting. Kenton
Electronics will supply all the shapes and
sizes of MIDI to CV/Gate boxes that you
can possibly require, which include the
USB Solo, which will plug directly into your
computer and provide CV/Gate signals
simply and reliably.

The Roland SH-01A, offers all that is
vintage and retro in a convenient and
modern box, which will interface beautifully
with your DAW via USB. Better still, the USB
connection carries both MIDI and Audio,
making it exceptionally easy to get your 101-
style signal directly into your DAW.

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Creating 101 patches – the classic acid house riff

The 101 was more than capable of holding its head high in the acid arena. Here we recreate a
classic riff with Roland’s Plug Out synth – just add an 808 or 909 for pure Acid House nirvana!

> Step by step 1. Creating 101 patches – a classic acid riff

1 We need a point of initialisation for 2 Now we have a simple single oscillator, 3 Within the Source Mixer, we now want
creating our patch, and while Roland reproducing a square wave. We want to add some sub oscillator. Too much
have helpfully equipped their software to decrease the volume of this completely can be overwhelming, so turn this up to
SH-101 with plenty of great patches, there in order to effectively replace the square around halfway. The default is for the sub
are also empty patch locations. Select any with a sawtooth. Within the Source Mixer to be one octave below, which is what we
available slot, which will also make light section, increase the saw to its maximum want for the moment, but experiment with
work of saving the patch at the end of volume, by dragging the Volume fader the two-octave-lower setting, for a
proceedings, if desired. fully north. different tonal colour.

4 We need to make three alterations to 5 The filter envelope plays a pivotal role 6 If you start to play a little sequence
the pots to get our resonant sound. as we aim to mimic the envelope now, it may well sound clipped at the
Move the Freq pot to 11 o’clock to make the controls on the TB-303. Reduce the end of each note. This is down to the
sound less bright. Move the Res control to Sustain fader to zero and move the Decay shortness of any form of release phase.
2 o’clock, and the Env pot to 4 o’clock to fader 1/3rd up. The decay phase will Both release phases for the VCF and VCA
specify the amount of filter envelope to be indicate the swiftness of the filter sweep. envelopes can be adjusted. Keep these
applied to the Cutoff control. Adjust to suit the speed of your track. short, or we’ll lose the clipped nature.

7 There is subtle interplay between the 8 Another important element from the 9 The final important part is the use of
Filter and Envelope Amount controls, 303 was portamento, and can be done overdrive distortion. Roland have built
as well as the VCF envelope. A small using the Auto function within the in a bit-crusher distortion, which sounds
adjustment is vital to get the sound to sit portamento section. Move the Mode great. For a more nostalgic Acid effect, try
in a track. Program up your track in your switch to Auto, and set the Speed to 9 applying DAW based overdrive distortion,
DAW and begin to get a feel. The VCF o’clock. It is applied between two notes if with plenty of upper harmonic colour.
Cutoff control is vital for creating build they overlap, so simple to play from the Those high frequencies will be great for
and best applied using automation. keyboard or program in an editor. cutting through a mix.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 35

> make synth music now / classics v software

Creating 101 patches – the 101 PWM bass

Now a classic sustaining bass patch, that combines power and movement for a number of
production scenarios: from commercial and pop, to cinematic and soundtrack…

> Step by step 2. Creating 101 patches – the 101 PWM bass

1 Just like our previous patch we need 2 We are going to employ all the 101’s 3 We’re going to need some extra
to begin from a point of initialisation, tonal sources. In the Source Mixer we timbral colour for this patch, so
and the simplest method for this is to blend the square wave and saw together. staying within the Source Mixer, increase
select an unused patch location from Notice that the square and sub are very the noise Level to around 30%. This will
Roland’s patch browser. Once selected, we dominant, increased to their max. Ensure provide a helpful background noise to
will have a single square wave activated. that the sub osc mode is set to 1 octave the movement of the PWM in the bass
down. The saw is set to around 70%. sound itself.

4 As we intend this sound to be 5 Below the VCO register pot are 6 The LFO rate is slow so adjust the Rate
exploited for bass duties, we’ll need to controls for Pulse Width Modulation fader. This is informed by the track you
place it at a lower pitch. To help in this (PWM). Set the Pulse Width fader to want to compose; slow for moody and
regard, drop the VCO register pot to 32’ around the 80% mark, while the Mod cinematic, and more commercial styles
which will allow for plenty of play at the switch to the right of the fader, should be will likely be quick. The LFO can be sync’d
bottom of the keyboard, without running set to LFO. This means that the speed of to your DAW, for cool tempo based PWM
out of keys or requiring transposition. the LFO will modulate the PWM. effects, using the Tempo Sync button.

7 Now that we have some movement in 8 Let’s try creating a little bit of ‘waw’ at 9 Now compression which we cannot do
our patch, we want to change the tone the beginning of each note. First, from within the plugin. Try adding a
somewhat, so with a quick trip to the VCF move the VCF Attack phase to the 30-40% FET based emulation, which will be
Filter section, we can add a small degree mark. We now have to indicate how much effective in lower frequencies. Also note
of resonance, while losing some of the of that signal will modulate the filter cutoff that we have left the VCA envelope
overtly bright top end. If you audition our via the Env pot. Try setting this to 2 o’clock settings untouched in order to achieve a
sound now, it’s clearly starting to gain a and you should immediately hear the clipped and harsh effect. This can be
slightly enigmatic quality. sound we want. altered for a softer performance.

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Ten Great Things about
the Roland SH-101

The 101 made quite an impact both in music and culture.
Here are our favourite ten SH-101 moments

02 COOL COLOURS
After the initial release of the SH-101,
Roland decided to produce two
additional colours. Apart from the default grey,
you could also buy the classic 80s stylings of
bright red and mid-blue. This gave rise to the
urban myth that one colour was better for
basses while another was better for leads; there
was no truth to this at all, as all three models
adopted the same form, functionality and
electronics, but it didn’t stop a typically 80s
accompanying advertising campaign, playing
up the stereotypical colour sets.

03 STRAP IN
In-line with its reissued 80s colour
scheme, the SH-101 could also double
as a keytar. This would require the addition of
the MGS-1 mod grip, as a separate purchase,
which was in turn available in three different
colours. The kit contained the mod grip itself,
which provided a convenient place to hold the
101 while cavorting around on stage, with a
button for modulation and small wheel for
pitchbend, but only in one direction. Potential
purchasers were also treated to a Roland
branded guitar strap!

04 GO WEST TO OMD
The 101 was a very popular choice
for many bands in the 80s with two
pop bands utilising the 101s enormous bass

Getty

01 PORTISHEAD SUBTERFUGE We always took our synths skiing back in the 80s
Portishead were an era-defining band; their
debut album Dummy is a suave and
sophisticated collection of trip hop grooves, synthesis
and beautiful vocals from singer Beth Gibbons. The
first track from the album Mysterons is credited as
having a Theremin playing the lead melody, but band
member Adrian Utley later admitted that it was in fact
an SH-101, with a large dose of portamento.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 37

> make synth music now / classics v software

Thomas Dolby once had a
smashing time with a 101

OMD used a 101 on Locomotion among other tracks Getty

potential. The Go West hit We Close Our Eyes 09ROCKING OUT IN DOLBY!
features a mega-huge 101 bass riff, which opens Another 101 aficionado was Thomas Dolby,
the song, and closes each chorus, while who took the concept of rocking out on a
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark utilised the keytar a little too far. He would often pick up the
punchy attack and decay of the envelope, for 101-axe and wander free, while soloing on songs
their looped-riff in Locomotion. such as Commercial Breakup. But after a particularly
long and gruelling UK tour, Dolby got an attack of
05 SEQUENCER 101-STYLE the Townshends, and found himself smashing a
While the 101 provides a great set of trusty 101 to pieces during the encore of his final
sonic features, it also hosts an show. Dolby was reported to say, ‘I’m not sure what
onboard sequencer which has become came over me?’, so we’ll put it down to the stress of
something of a referenced classic. Operating in life on the road, rather than any hatred of the 101.
step mode, the sequencer could retain up to 100
notes, as ordered. We’re not sure why 100 notes
was the upper limit, but the concept of this quick
and easy sequencing process has now occupied
the music tech psyche, with manufacturers
referring to their own similar designs as ‘101-
style sequencers’. That’s quite a homage for a
cheap little synth from the 80s…

06 SUBSONIC!
There is no doubt that the 101 could
make the most colossal bass sound,
thanks to the presence of a sub oscillator right
at the core of its VCO engine. It was also popular
in more underground settings, as a synth which
could generate brilliant sine waves, by self-
oscillating the filter, with maximum resonance.
Those sines could be heard all through the 90s,
from any car with a lavishly overpriced stereo
(normally a BMW 3 Series).

07 SQUELCHY FILTER
When not operating in sine-self-
destruct mode, the 101 filter did a very
close impersonation of a 303, in full flight. The
squeal of the filter, being tweaked in real time

The 101-style sequencer set a benchmark for others with large amounts of resonance, was Orbital, both made extensive use of the 101 in
synonymous with the sound of rave, which their production and live rigs.
when coupled with the ability to program glides
from within the onboard sequencer, could do 10 AFFORDABILITY
303 for a fraction of the price. Talking of cash, this was a serious
synth, at a sensible and affordable
08 808 TO ORBITAL price, even more so if you hunted around for
With these dance-like credentials, it’s one secondhand. They would regularly change
hardly surprising that many dance hands for just £100, which is certainly not the
acts of the day made a special place in their rigs case now thanks to its loved and acquired
for the feature-packed SH-101 mini monosynth, ‘vintage’ status, but thankfully companies such
especially given its relatively low price. Two of as Roland are at hand, to help you with
the finest bands from that period, 808 State and affordable options that are certainly impressive.

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Original Roland Listen and you decide…
SH-101 v software
Roland SH-101s. We have five audio examples from our 101s to download from filesilo.co.uk. Again, our
What do we think? software audio was generated within the DAW, with the hardware version being played
directly into a high-quality audio interface, with no additional hardware.
The SH-101 shares many sonic traits with other
products from the Roland line-up from the same Again we’ve attempted to play the same thing to compare like with like. The audio is as
era. There are a couple of reasons for this, follows (from each of our three Rolands).
beginning with the VCO assignment, a mixable
affair between saw/square and sub-oscillator. 1. SAW – raw with wide open filter
2. SQUARE – raw with wide open filter
In preparing our sonic examples, we 3. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – raw with wide open filter
attempted to mirror settings from the hardware 4. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – Filter Sweep (from Env)
original, with the software versions. In the case 5. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – Filtered Riff with Resonance
of the Roland Plug Out, we were incredibly
impressed by the accuracy of emulation, so Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
much so, the square wave of our original 101 document with the identities revealed. Again, let us know what you think by emailing
seemed to be slightly off-axis, when compared [email protected].
to the Roland software.
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 39
While the source waves are a great testing
ground, it’s the filter which provides much of the
101’s character. The original filter chip was also
used in other Roland products, such as the Juno
6/60, Jupiter 6/8 and MC-202. Hardly surprising
that it sounds so familiar, while offering a great
TB-303 impersonation too!

“Roland have done a

magnificent job of

recreating a 101”

We fed our SH-101 signal into a high-end
audio interface, capturing both the initial
waveforms, and the resonant character of the
filter, in isolation and as part of a classic riff. As
the software 101s were captured internally, we
were also careful to ensure that all additional
processing was removed from the signal path,
for true 101 transparency.

Punchy, resonant and
eternally classic!

Our final conclusions? Roland have done the
most magnificent job of recreating the 101 in
digital guise. The plugin/Plug Out software,
which can be projected onto their System range
of machines or purchased as a Boutique unit
(SH-01A), is incredibly close to the original, with
a number of basic enhancements, such as an
additional envelope. This makes it a great
sounding emulation, and one that offers
flexibility in operation.

TAL’s equally excellent Bassline 101 emulation
brings further enhancements, which include a
programmable step sequencer, while throwing
up all those classic tones and squelches.

In reality, each product brings so much to the
table, and what is best for you may well be down
to the way you like to work; software can often
be easier to use onscreen, allowing for simplicity
in control and automation, whereas hardware
offers the synth player something they can get
onboard with, playing directly into a DAW, or
through DAW-based control.

As for which sounds best, the results of some
of our experiments can be heard via downloads
from the FileSilo website. See the box (right) for
more details. Get in touch and let us know which
you think is best!

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

The easy guide to

MODULAR

SYNTHESIS

Modular, aka Eurorack, synthesis has
taken the production world by storm.
Here’s your complete guide on how
to get going, as we go from zero to
modular hero…

Eurorack has taken the music production device, it’s the tactile approach that can feel more
world by storm over recent years. The rewarding, and unlike off-the-shelf hardware
hardware modular synth format essentially synths, Eurorack grows with you.
lets you create your own custom synthesiser
by assembling modules that control various We eluded to the fact that Eurorack has many
aspects of the synth signal flow yourself. The uses; these can range from the most basic
idea is that you might well end up with a scenario of providing a single synth voice, to
collection of sounds that no other musician on acting as an effects processor, with the ability to
the planet has. But how can you safely explore sample, capture and manipulate audio in real-
this phenomenon from the comfort of your time, or as a stand-alone system which is akin to a
own computer? Well, you’ve come to the right good old-fashioned groove box. Your direction of
place, as this feature is designed to cover travel will be informed by the music you produce,
everything Eurorack! but Eurorack has the uncanny knack of delivering
the odd mishap and mistake, which might also
Introduction dictate your next musical direction.

Eurorack is a truly creative beast, and it’s one that As a form of music technology, Eurorack’s is
has many heads and viewpoints. Many of these very much linked with the musical past – although
are specific to the sort of music you may wish to not perhaps as far back as you might think. The
make, but we have to address the modular- format was brought to prominence in the mid-
elephantine-beast in the room and discuss why 90s by German inventor and musician Dieter
anyone might want to go down the path of Doepfer, with the release of a fully-formed system
modular, when there are perfectly good software called the A-100. This module configuration
modulars available? The answer to this is often became the standard for the format we now call
down to your experiences to date with Eurorack. Drawing upon the modular synth
synthesisers. Like any hardware music-making traditions inspired by synth pioneers such as Bob
Moog, the Eurorack form is compact and slightly

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> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

smaller than most previous modular formats, standardised 1v per octave format, with most
with a module height of 3U (133.4mm), and a modules allowing control over five octaves, with
horizontal unit measured in HP (horizontal some allowing up to ten octaves. The CVs may
pitch) which equates to 5.08mm to 1HP. Many also be employed elsewhere in the system to do
modules will be 4, 6, 8 or 12 HP in width, with other cool things, such as realtime modulation.
some even wider. This allows Eurorack users to
decide on modules, based upon space available. But why?
Many modules can feel condensed, with the
plus-point being that you can squeeze large All this talk of formats is probably not exactly
amounts of functionality into a small space. selling the prospect of modular, so let’s go back
to the initial question; why go modular? Think of
Power and control ‘Red stripe down’ – keep the red stripe low on your Eurorack as a system, in which you hold the
power cable and you won’t blow up your modules control. You can start with a basic system and
Power is also standardised, with modules being add to it on a regular basis to introduce different
connected to power boards which are normally smoke, it’s normally an easy and cheap fix, by sounds, tones, functionality and processing.
fitted into Eurorack cases. It’s not uncommon to anyone who can solder efficiently. While it is electronic, it’s an organic process, as
find power boards with around 12 connection many modules can help inspire through their
points per row of modules, which is an indicator Another throwback to music technology’s ability to generate notes and sequences
of how many modules you might be able to past is with the control of the Eurorack. While it randomly. It’s also possible to employ onboard
squeeze in a line. The system itself runs on low is the ideal to connect your modular via MIDI, and external sequencers, allowing
voltages, normally powered via an external 12v the format itself relies heavily on Control programming of music within the modular,
DC power supply. Voltages (CVs) and Gates. This was the which can then be synchronised with your
convention pre-MIDI, as a simple and effective computer, either to run alongside or capture for
A word of warning here! Some power boards way of triggering notes using a gate to dictate further enhancement within your DAW.
will allow users to connect modules incorrectly, note length, and CV for determination of pitch.
with the positive and negative polarity the Helpfully, Eurorack conforms to the However, for us, the biggest coup for modular
wrong way around. Some companies get is the physical concept of signal flow, where you
around this with the use of ‘shrouded headers’, literally have to pick up a patch cable and route
which mean that modules cannot be connected your sound or signal. There’s nothing quite like
incorrectly. However the most commonplace that element of control, which is so satisfying, a
mantra for all Eurorack users is ‘Red Stripe little like the musical equivalent of Lego bricks!
Down’ , which relates to the negative connection
being indicated by a red stripe, which will In the spirit of this launching point, we’re
normally also run along the power connection going to start with the absolute basics and build
ribbon cable. Keep the red stripe low and you’ll a single voice mono-synth, paying particular
not blow any of your modules; however if you attention on how we connect it to our existing
do find yourself with a module that goes up in computers and hardware, and start making
cool sounds!

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Audient iD4,
Steinberg
UR22 MkII,
and
iConnectivity
Mio – just
three great
i/o options

What you need will include the ability to monitor latency free, Casing the joint
keeping your Eurorack setup firmly in sync with
Let’s begin with the computer side of business; your DAW. The first components to consider could be
in order to connect any external synth, you’re regarded as the most important; the case and
going to need two points of connection, namely Turning our attentions to the Eurorack setup, the power!
MIDI and audio. you’ll need to get yourself equipped with a
number of basics to make a noise. If you are nervously taking your first tenta-
In recent years, the humble 5-pin MIDI plug tive steps into the Eurorack domain, the best
has been usurped by the introduction of USB The Doepfer MCV4 MIDI-toCV/ Gate Converter advice would be to buy a case with power
MIDI connections. However we are looking to included. It is possible to buy cases without
take advantage of CV/Gate for our Eurorack, power, and you can buy the power elements
and at the present time, there is more choice for separately, but with several off-the-shelf solu-
conventional MIDI to CV/Gate convertors than tions available, it makes sense to keep things
anything which will accept a USB connection. simple to begin with.
Hence, the predictability and reliability of a
standard 5-pin MIDI connection emanating from Cases come in various shapes and sizes.
your host computer will always be a good stal- There are certain sizes which are fairly standard,
wart. It’s stood the test of time for good reason. always dictated by the number of rows and how
many HP are on offer. As a starting point, two
If your computer lacks a MIDI output, the rows of 84HP, 104HP or 126HP should serve
iConnectivity Mio (£39 – iconnectivity.com) is a you well, but be prepared for things to fill up,
cheap, simple solution, for both Mac and PC. at which point, you can expand with a second
case, or buy something bigger.
While the MIDI interface will provide trigger-
ing from your DAW, we’re also going to need a In terms of the shape, the most common
way of listening and monitoring, and this will case is known as a skiff, and is designed to sit
probably be easiest via an Audio interface. nicely on a desk or table top. If you think you
Eurorack systems tend to work with mono might want to be portable with your Eurorack,
signals, but depending on where your modular cases are available with lids, designed to be
takes you in the future, stereo signal processing easy to carry around. There are also plenty
with Eurorack is becoming more commonplace, of more bespoke cases available, which offer
hence it would make sense to think ahead. greater size and proportion, and will be worth
considering if you think you’re going to catch
As we’ll want to monitor the Eurorack, with the Eurorack bug.
provision for both playing alongside your DAW
and recording it into your DAW, a good quality
audio interface is always a sound investment.
One such reliable workhorse is the newly
updated Audient ID14 Mk2 (£199, audient.com)
which will comfortably provide Stereo in and
out, along with a pair of excellent mic pre-amps,
in a box which looks stylish on a desktop.

Another ideal solution is offered by Stein-
berg; the UR22 Mk2 (£119, steinberg.net), which
will provide both MIDI and audio capability in
a single box. Ignoring the Steinberg branding,
this is an interface which was actually codevel-
oped with Yamaha and will work with both Mac
and PC, and with any DAW. A newly updated ‘C’
version of the UR22 now provides USB C con-
nectivity, which will be of interest to MacBook
users, where the dominance of this newly styled
connector has become the norm.

Armed with your audio interface, it will be
important to install any associated software, in
order to get the most from the hardware. This

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 43

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

Time to module up!

Now to the exciting bit, with the modules that would normally be linked to an Envelope convertor, which can be housed in the Eurorack,
are going to form your signal path and generate module. The VCA will also work in a stand-alone or purchased as an exterior box. It will also be
some sounds. mode, if you simply want to create tonal drones, exceptionally useful to have some form of audio
but can importantly be linked with an envelope, output module, which could be considered the
As these are our first steps, we’re going to if you want to trigger your sound like a conven- volume control for the Eurorack system.
keep it simple and examine a basic system, tional synthesiser.
much like a hardware monosynth, but with There are also plenty of modules which are
greater flexibility. Armed with these four modules (oscillator, fil- designed with modulation in mind, such as
ter, amplifier and envelope) you’ll be able to get LFO-style modules. These can help to create
The starting point is the oscillator; the argu- going sonically, but you’re going to need other vibrato and undulation effects, which will create
ment between analogue and digital continues utility modules for linking to your computer movement in your sculptured sound. Not vital
to rage, even in Eurorack circles. However, the for MIDI and audio. As we’ll be triggering from at this stage, but you’ll want to consider them as
reality is that it simply doesn’t matter, as long as the computer, we’ll need a MIDI to CV/Gate your system grows.
you are getting the sound that you want. Many
larger Eurorack systems benefit from a blend of
the two together, and certainly digital oscillators
will offer more functionality, as a rule. Analogue
oscillators might sound slightly fuller in tone, in
certain scenarios, but will offer less tonal con-
trast in initial waveform, whereas digital oscilla-
tors could contain many examples of traditional
and more complex waveforms.

As we are keeping things subtractive in syn-
thesis style, the next port-of-call will be some
form of filter. These are also available in ana-
logue and digital formats, and again, any argu-
ment is null and void, because both have their
strengths and weaknesses. Analogue could
offer degrees of impurity, which will offer that
classic 70s synth sound, but could equally add
some impurity to a digital oscillator. Similarly,
you might yearn for a very clean and controlled
sound, in which case a digital filter will offer
superior accuracy with a clean tonal centre.

Our synth signal will need amplifying with
a Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA), which

Analogue VCOs

Doepfer Studio Electronics AJH Synth
A-110 Standard VCO £129 Oscillation £249 Minimod VCO £260

From the company that started the Eurorack This superb-sounding VCO is a flexible The Minimod VCO is a transistor core oscillator
revolution, this basic VCO delivers four analogue oscillator, offering four classic which faithfully recreates the osc circuit from
independent outputs of classic analogue subtractive tones, each with their own the original MiniMoog synth. It is also equipped
waveforms. It’s a good entry-level VCO module, individual output, or the ability to sum them with four independent waveform outputs,
designed with a sensible price tag to get the together in a mix. Furthermore, it’s equipped which include the legendary Sharktooth
novice started. It’s also available in either silver with a square wave sub oscillator, making it a waveform, a staple of the original MiniMoog.
or ‘vintage’ black panel colours. huge-sounding starting point, for any classic This sounds amazing alone, or combine with
doepfer.de subtractive-based synth sound. other VCOs for that enormous phatt effect!
studioelectronics.com ajhsynth.com

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Digital oscillators

ALM Busy Circuits Mutable Instruments Qu-Bit Electronix
MCO £139 Plaits £199 Scanned £325

The compact MCO offers great sound and Plaits is a simple-to-use and effective oscillator, This digital oscillator is classed as an organic
affordability, in a compact module format. It’s which has been designed from the ground up wavetable oscillator. While it can produce
capable of morphing from one wave to the next, to offer immediacy in tone selection, and the more usual subtractive-style synthesis tones,
using the process known as wavetable, but is ability to change its sound in real time, either its strength lies in its ability to animate and
also equipped with a dedicated sub-oscillator manually or within your Eurorack. It offers a exaggerate the waveforms, through modulation
output, in order to shore up those thundering beautifully digital tone, with capacity to create a elsewhere in the modular. It can sound tame
bass sounds. It’s got a slight digital crunch in vast number of interesting timbres, as a starting and gnarly in very equal amounts. Definitely an
its tone, lending itself well to contemporary point for tone creation. oscillator with hidden depths and attitude!
production styles. mutable-instruments.net qubitelectronix.com
busycircuits.com

Filters

Doepfer Erica Synths Studio Electronics
A-120 Standard VCF1 £99.99
Black Polivoks VCF V2 Filter £158 ModStar 4075 Filter £235

The standard A-120 filter is an all-analogue Erica Synths, from Latvia, produce very high Studio Electronics have always been on a
4-pole design, which means that it will sound quality and beautifully engineered modules, crusade with their modular lineup. They have
smooth and warm, ideal for drone-like basses with a degree of sonic attitude, and this filter faithfully engineered a number of filters to an
and melodic leads. It’s at the affordable end of is no exception. It’s based on an old Polivoks exceptionally high standard, to provide modern
Eurorack, serving as an excellent springboard design from Russia, and can easily sound alternatives to classics from companies like
into modular. It offers simple control of cutoff aggressive, if cranked. It also offers degrees of Moog, Roland, Oberheim and Yamaha. The 4075
and resonance, which may also be placed under subtlety and is at the more colourful end of the is modelled on a classic ARP design and offers
CV control. filter business. warmth, colour and punch in equal quantities.
doepfer.de ericasynths.lv studioelectronics.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 45

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

Filters

AJH SynthGemini Mutable Instruments Make Noise
2412 Dual VCF £339 Blades Dual Multimode filter QPAS £299
£299
This superb filter from AJH, is based on the SEM An example of where a system filter can
design championed by Oberheim. Unlike the This is another dual-channel design, but in a go, breaking out of the traditional concept.
other analogue filters mentioned here, Gemini digital format, meaning that it can operate as It’s capable of filtering and all manner of
offers the ability to sweep from one filter type to two separate filters or a combination of the modulation effects, but be aware that Make
another. It also offers two signal paths, meaning two. It’s crisp and accurate, with a degree of Noise are a company that like to employ cryptic
that it could be considered two filters in one distortion, thanks to its overdrive element and iconography on their products, which when
module, or used as a combination of the two. 2-pole design, which allows it to sound fairly coupled with its complexity, requires a degree
ajhsynth.com aggressive, if required. of commitment to fully understand.
mutable-instruments.net makenoisemusic.com

Envelope generators

Doepfer Tiptop Audio Intellijel
A-140 ADSR Envelope Z4000 Envelope Generator £145 Dual ADSR £211
Generator £75
Another basic envelope, but with a number Having two envelope generators in a single
Doepfer’s no-fuss ADSR is an ideal starting of hidden depths. The attack curves on voice system can be very neat, as it will allow
point for a starter system. Apart from the ability this module may be switched between an for modulation possibilities away from the
to alter each of the four phases, as one would exponential or logarithmic curve, which is standard VCA duties. This nifty model from
expect, it is equipped with a timing range for useful for different musical effects. It also has a Intellijel is easy and clear to use, while offering
generating longer attack and release phases or, Shoot button, which can prove very helpful for variance of phase speeds and a useful Cycle
at the opposite end of the spectrum, very short testing a sound, while building a patch. feature, that will allow the envelope to re-trigger
decays for percussive effects. tiptopaudio.com itself on a loop.
doepfer.de intellijel.com

46 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

the easy guide to modular synthesis / make synth music now <

Voltage controlled amplifiers (VCAs)

Doepfer Studio Electronics Mutable Instruments
A-131 VCA £70 VCA2 Dual VCA £110 Veils Quad VCA £175

This cost-effective module offers two channels Packed into a relatively small module, the Offering even greater flexibility, Veils manages
of VCA, emitting from a single output. It’s a VCA2 offers two channels of VCA, but with dual to squeeze four channels of VCA into a small
simple no-fuss design that is intended to get outputs. This creates flexibility in use, allowing module, offering expandability and convenience
the initial system up and running, easily and for the creation of stereo patches, or completely alongside Mutable’s consistently high-quality
effectively, while at a realistic price point. independent signal paths, as your system builds engineering. It is also equipped with secondary
doepfer.de in size. VCA2 offers a very clean and detailed functionality for further sculpting your sound in
tone which can be exceptionally punchy. terms of amplitude.
studioelectronics.com mutable-instruments.net

MIDI to CV modules and sequencers

ALM Busy Circuits Kenton Electronics Arturia
Keystep £110
mmMidi Midi to CV interface £98 USB Solo £192

The mmMidi module accepts an incoming MIDI From the company that started the entire MIDI- While not strictly a Eurorack-specific element,
signal and converts it to two independent CV/ to-CV revolution, the USB Solo is an external box the Keystep provides a very quick, easy route
gate signals, meaning that it can drive up to two which accepts a USB signal directly from your for turning your Eurorack into a playable setup,
voices. A further expansion module can also computer, and will provide CV/Gate outputs albeit with a small keyboard. Keystep can also
be added, allowing it to be used for triggers, which are ripe for your Eurorack. Kenton also be sync’d to a clock, over MIDI, allowing the
making it useful if you decide to employ drum make a MIDI module which is branded Modular perfect use of the onboard sequencer and
and percussive effects in your system. Solo, which provides MIDI-to-CV/Gate in a arpeggiator. Being equipped with both MIDI and
busycircuits.com Eurorack module. Both are exceptionally reliable. CV/Gate outputs, it’s a cost effective solution.
kentonuk.com arturia.com

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 47

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

Additional items

Make Noise 4MS Mutable Instruments
Maths £229 Listen - In/Out module £112 Little Bag of Cables (20) £46

Maths is a module which is designed to This simple and effective module provides a If there’s one thing that you will definitely need
modulate CVs; however it is useful on many useful and easy conversion from your Eurorack for your Eurorack, it’s cables! There are plenty
different levels. You can use it as a simple to a line level signal, which will make for happier of cables on the market, but the Little Bag from
AD envelope generator, or place it in a cycle bedfellows with other audio equipment. As Mutable is a great option that will last, thanks to
to mimic LFO performance. It also offers well as providing a convenient volume control the quality braiding and variable cable lengths.
some clever summing abilities and can even for your Eurorack, it can also be used to input Lesser cables are abundantly available from nu-
modulate itself. a signal into your system, as you get more merous outlets, and are a cost-effective solution
makenoisemusic.com adventurous with your patching. in the short term.
4mscompany.com mutable-instruments.net

Eurorack modular cases

Doepfer Synthracks
low-cost cases from £150 options from £80

Doepfer make a number of low-cost cases, in various Synthracks make a number of off-the-shelf Eurorack cases
shapes and sizes, from single to multiple rows. They are also and starter kits, all of which are available in various shapes,
equipped with power, making them a neat and cost-effective sizes and colour, both with and without power. They also
solution. While they are made from a basic untreated wood, build larger bespoke cases, to customer specification. With a
they do look great if painted, and can be stacked if you have background in studio rack and furniture design, the quality
larger Eurorack ambitions. and craftsmanship speaks for itself.
doepfer.de synthracks.com

48 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

the easy guide to modular synthesis / make synth music now <

Patching guide

We’re going to create a very basic, subtractive synth patch, working with a set of
Doepfer modules, with the ALM mmMidi providing triggering capacity from the
DAW and computer. Each new cable connection is designated by a red patch cable.

01 Connect MIDI to DAW 02 VCO to Filter
Before we start out making any sound, let’s connect up the Next we’ll start with the first of our audio connections.
MIDI Input to our Eurorack system. The mmMidi module Think of your basic Eurorack system as a commercial
has a MIDI connection lead which terminates in a MIDI socket, but synth, but all of the elements need to be soldered together. That’s why
other similar modules may have a 5-pin DIN socket on the front. Make we use patch cables, so with our cables in hand, make a connection
a connection to the MIDI In on your chosen MIDI module, from the from your VCO or Oscillator Output, to your filter. VCO Outputs are often
appropriate MIDI Output from your DAW. This will probably also require labelled with icons, like waveform shapes. Start with something like a saw
the setting of a corresponding instrument in your DAW, sending MIDI or square wave, as these are rich in harmonics. Filter inputs are normally
over to your MIDI interface. labelled Input or Audio In, but if in doubt, simply look in the manual.

03 Filter to VCA To audio interface
Our next audio connection involves feeding the Filter input/ mixing desk
Output to the VCA Input. This is where the signal will be
amplified, allowing us to hear it. Some companies choose to use icons 04 VCA to Audio
to signify their input and outputs, so if in doubt, check the manual. But Our next connection will allow us to hear some sound;
you’re highly unlikely to do any damage by mis-patching at this level, so taking the output from the VCA, you can feed this
you can always try a best guess. VCAs normally have an associated ‘feed- directly into your audio interface, although it is worth pointing out that,
through’ control, often in the shape of a pot or fader. In our example, this as Eurorack mostly employs mini-jack cables, you may need a cable
is labelled In 1 and corresponds to Audio In 1. convertor, or a cable armed with mini-jack at one end and 1/4” jack at
the other. This is another reason why output modules can be a useful
addition to a system, as they conveniently terminate in more useful plug
sizes, as well as providing a volume control and headphone output.

If you now tentatively turn up your monitoring input channel, related to your audio interface or mixing
desk, you should start to hear a sound when you increase the ‘play-through pot’ (labelled In one pot in
our example). Make sure the Filter Cut-off is fully open as well, otherwise the filter might limit what you
can hear. This is an easy method for creating drones.

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 49

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis

TUNING POTS

05 Pitch CV to VCO 06 Gate to Envelope, to VCA
In order to control the pitch of the oscillator, we need to While the pitch CV will look after the pitch you want, the
connect the MIDI module’s Pitch Output to the CV Input of gate signal activates the envelope. We’ll be making two
the oscillator. This is often signified by a description on a VCO reading ‘1v/ patch connections here; the first is from the Gate Output of your MIDI
octave’ or ‘Pitch Input’. In the case of the Doepfer A-110, it is described as module, which is normally clearly labelled. The second will be from the
CV1, signifying the main control voltage. Similar terminology will be used Envelope Output to the VCA; in the case of our Doepfer VCA, we’ll be
to show the pitch CV Output from the MIDI module. connecting to CV1 from the envelope module’s Output. Some VCAs can
be a little less obvious, so check the instructions, if in doubt. Normally,
TUNING POTS the presence of an envelope connection to a VCA means that the Input
Gain pot will need to be reduced, as the envelope takes over the task of
controlling the VCA level.

07 VCO Tuning/range 08 Env to filter
Your basic patch should now be complete, meaning Our final connection could be regarded as a secondary
that you should be able to play notes from your DAW- or modulatory connection. As our envelope module is
connected MIDI keyboard, and hear some sound. However, you may find equipped with a second Output, we can employ this to control the Filter
that the register or range where your notes are being triggered, is not Cut-off, allowing us to create a snappy attack phase, where the filter can
quite as you require. This is because just about all Eurorack VCOs have be exaggerated. Both the VCA and VCF will share the same envelope
variable pitch or tuning pots, for coarse and fine tuning. You will need settings, but the amount applied to the filter can be set by adjusting the
to adjust this so that when you play a note such as C, you are hearing a corresponding pot, which in this case is CV2 on the filter module.
C. You can do this by using a tuner plugin via your DAW, or even more
convenient, download a tuner app for your phone. It’s quick and simple!

This very basic patch will allow you to control the timbral sound of your Eurorack, either manually via
the Filter Cut-off and Resonance, or with additional help from the envelope. It’s a perfect starting point,
and demonstrates how to achieve effective results for classic synth bass sounds and searing leads, with
the minimum of modules.

50 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS