Really nice and interesting. I especially appreciate the tip on the drum samples. Although, I have samples of virtually every drum machine, it is always good to find new stuff, even better when they are already effected and ready for use to get the right feeling for the beat from the get-go.
Hands down, one of the best tutorials I have ever watched! I really like how in-depth you went with explaining the production of it, and that you had the chords displayed. I'm always interested in the types of chords people use. Plus, you can't ever go wrong with FM. Ever.
I am watching this while listening to Oxygene on album, lol. I bought one of your albums on Bandcamp about a month ago from a recommendation from Techmoan. Love your work!! Thanks!!
I have a Kaossilator Pro (also a Techmoan suggestion) I also have a sweep generator and a bunch of guitar pedals, I am thinking of the sweep generator through pedals and mixed with the Korg to make...something! Am I crazy??? Any input would be awesome! Thanks for all you do!!
Yeah, I’m working on shooting the full music video, but my daytime job is taking up some time right now. The song is up on SoundCloud though. :) soundcloud.com/eox-studios/reface-my-dx
Thanks mate Glad to hear that. Working on making some even better and more indepth tutorials, and not just showcasing. We'll see, gotta find an angle that's interesting. :)
Haha.. now that's something I had completely forgotten! ruclips.net/video/z5VFngsQPok/видео.html Yeah, I guess what I do is hugely inspired by stuff like this from the 80s and the early 90s. Maybe I should make a remake of some of these songs..hmm. I'm also very much inspired by The Rippingtons and Spyro Gyra.. guess many of the same composers of the era had the same background as those guys (Berklee, Juliard and those teaching the guys that made the West Coast / LA Fusion scene) :D
Kein Podcast Thank you, happy to hear that. I plan to do some more indepth stuff once I figure out what and how. There are so many tutorials out there, that I need to find something that doesn’t become just a copy of everyone elses. :)
I need an fm synth again. I’m torn between a reface dx, or a secondhand dx100, as I am really short of space in my studio. I loved my old dx100, but the reface looks easier to program even if it doesn’t have as much patch storage. Decisions decisions….
If space is a premium commodity, and you don’t mind using your computer with it: The Reface DX is gold. Remember that Yamaha has a software to store and load patches. So you can have more than the 32 built in slots. Soundmondo can be downloaded here: usa.yamaha.com/products/music_production/synthesizers/reface/soundmondo.html#product-tabs :)
Thanks Anders. I got the software.a few weeks ago for my iPad, thinking it would hasten my mind faster. But I also have patch base that I use with my microKorg which will store patches for the dx 100 as well as the reface dx. The other thing with the dx100 is it has an input for a breath controller, and an extra octave of keys. I have many controllers so the keys don’t matter too much, and I have an Ewi so I could use breath with the reface, and the reface has built in speakers for jamming anywhere. I loved what you did with it at synth reaktor with the 8bit guy. In. Conclusion I think the portability will swing it for me, the reface uses aa batteries and rhe dx100 uses c which makes it heavier. Who would think there’s so much to consider when de+icing between 2 synths that basically sound the same.
I recently bought a Reface DX, still have to find out how it “behaves” among other instruments on 4tr cassette recordings. Your video gives a nice clue, even using only the default presets. Good video, thanks 👍
Thank you! Yeah, I believe if you just work enough with it, you can make something decent with just about anything out there. Of course, using effects and layering with other stuff and/or sample it with some tweaking, you can do anything. The only problem with the Reface series is that you can only record one part at time so it’s a lot of back and forth while you develop your song. :)
Hey. yes it is. Good call, I've added links in the description now. You can find it at Zenhiser.com: www.zenhiser.com/80s-retro-drummer.html They have a huge collection of samples for almost every genre you can think of, and much of it is useful, either as a whole or just simple beats, loops or sound clips to get you started. Highly recommended. :)
The song "Reface My DX" you mean? It's been out there for a year or so. Under the Retro Grooves Vol. 4 album, but should be available as a single too. :)
Well, depends, I’m not too familiar with those, but Believe you can get some additional sounds out of this one that the two others can’t. There is more to the editing on the DX that comes off in this video. :)
The DX Reface apparently uses 12 algorithms compared to the DX27's eight and it looks like only a few algorithms overlap between the two. So what Anders says is correct, you can get different sounds from the DX than you can from the DX27 and the FB01 (which **I think** uses the same algorithms as the DX21/27/100). I was surprised that Yamaha only went with 4 operators as opposed to an actual DX7 recreation when they issued the Reface, but to be honest, I'm glad to see a 4-operator system get some love! My first FM synth was the DX21. I gigged with it for years and still have it! 4 operators pretty much cover the foundation of most of the DX7's classic sounds, and are very serviceable. With 12 algorithms that the reface has, 4 operators are even more versatile!
@@jeffirokssynthchannel3747 Huh, didn't know it had so many algorithms. I assumed it was a simpler reimagining of the DX100 due to size, mini keys and 4-OP.
Alot to be said for the reface portability. The speakers are surprisingly adequate, and it is able to be battery powered. Good velocity sensitivity on the keys. It’s my favorite couch synth at the moment.
I’ve also experimented doing drums as audio clips as well, but find it tedious to work with. What are your thoughts on it? Do you get more precision in timing and sound by not using a software sampler?
Pasi Keränen Hi, yes I believe most DAWs are slightly more precise with audio files than with MIDI data as that is serial data that has to be processed. Espen Kraft has discussed this topic earlier and he’s discovered that MIDI data is ofte slightly off the grid even when quantized. I do think he has a point as the CPU has to process so much more stuff these days than what for instance the old Atari machines and dedicated sequencers had to do. So I think you can get some better performance like this, eapecially if your machine is getting older like mine. ;)
@@AndersEngerJensen Thanks for the insight! Must have missed that Espen Kraft episode, but I remember some discussions around this in early Sonic Talk episodes. I've sometimes felt like I observed this myself. But it's so minor it's definitely more a "feel" than direct "darn that is way off". I wonder if I could work around this with a bounce of the MIDI drums to separate channels, followed by beat detection and quantize of that.. Need to try this out! Cheers!
Awesome vid, would you recommend the reface dx over the reface cs for the 80's synth sound like simple minds and van Halen? Idk much about them but our band would like to add a synth.
Depends… if it’s for adding some textures to an already well established sound, sure. If you don’t mind the mini keys. It is a powerful synth with a lot of potential, but an MX61, MODX or something allround like that would perhaps be a choice you can grow more on as time goes by. The Reface series is partly limited to what each is recreating… whereas the allround ones have the entire palette at your disposal. The bands of the 80s used a lot of other gear than just the DX7 so it would be wise to not limit yourself too much. :)
@@AndersEngerJensen thanks for the info, I don't even know how to play yet. But would like to learn. Any lower budget synth/keyboard recommendations for complete beginner that would also like to use it in a live performance when I'm good enough.
Not really, but I found out it was FCPX while rendering... could be dropped frames that caused it to hang a few times. 2009 MacPro doesn't go well with screen capture internally while playing and recording, so I was using the Black Magic Mini Recorder on my iMac to capture what I do in Digital Performer. Have to see how stable this setup is during the next few months. :|
why do you program drum sounds using audio samples direct in regions editor? digital performer has nano sampler out of the box, it's not a masterpiece but has all basic sampling function like loop points, transpose etc....you could import drum samples in it and controlling them using midi data like a normal synth, it would give you some advantages for example if you wanna replace or try a different sound in the middle or at the end of the production you dont have to reprogram all stuff..just import the new one.
That’s the classic Prophet 5 Sync sound. It’s practically impossible to recreate on FM since the Prophet used a totally different sound synthesis. I could only get a little bit close on a four operator synth...
Hard to tell, I have only the SY99, and that one has two more operators than the SY-55. However they both have AWM2 and samples, so I suspect it’s easier than just with the original DX-7 architechture. A Roland synth would be easier though.
Well, it’s because when they asked The 8-Bit Guy to come, he said he really didn’t feel this was his place to be, but if I was going, so would he. Which was very nice of him, so they invited me, but I guess my name never came onto the list of all the products/logos etc. Not that it’s a problem for me though, I’m just thrilled to even be invited. 😁
Amazing work... I am going to be putting an 80s based album together next year. What computer programs are you using to create and compose these tracks? Including drums? Thank you.
That’s cool! :D I’m using a mix of soft synths and real outboard synth/module. It’s about 60% outboards and 40% soft synths/samples. I then mix everything live on my Yamaha LS9-32 with some effects (Strymon Big Sky, TC Corona and Yamaha SPX90II etc.). Software: Refx Nexus2 with expansion packs, Korg Legacy Collection, Dexed, PG8X and some other ones. Drums are usually a mix between samples from Vengeance and Zenhiser mixed with Motif X7.
So basically 80s music is the feeling of riding a horse, and watching a Mentos commercial :)
I always get happy from your music man, that takes true talent I can assure you. Excellent tutorial and this should make Yamaha pretty happy! :D
I know, right? This dude has so much talent. His compositions are amazing.
Those key changes on the base line! Total eargasm!
I love your wizardry! Thank you!
Really nice and interesting. I especially appreciate the tip on the drum samples. Although, I have samples of virtually every drum machine, it is always good to find new stuff, even better when they are already effected and ready for use to get the right feeling for the beat from the get-go.
Hands down, one of the best tutorials I have ever watched! I really like how in-depth you went with explaining the production of it, and that you had the chords displayed. I'm always interested in the types of chords people use. Plus, you can't ever go wrong with FM. Ever.
This is amazing to see how much work you put into these songs. Thanks for sharing.
15:32 So so very 80s sweet highschool movie ending theme.
very nice 80s vibe. I like that!
Reopened my music interest and started making some again. First new piece of toy was the Reface DX. Good to see this and give me some neat ideas.
Amazing to see a song come to life! Thank you for the video Anders!
I am watching this while listening to Oxygene on album, lol. I bought one of your albums on Bandcamp about a month ago from a recommendation from Techmoan. Love your work!! Thanks!!
I have a Kaossilator Pro (also a Techmoan suggestion) I also have a sweep generator and a bunch of guitar pedals, I am thinking of the sweep generator through pedals and mixed with the Korg to make...something! Am I crazy??? Any input would be awesome! Thanks for all you do!!
As an aside, I work on guitar tube amps as a hobby. So I have the electronics side down.
Thank you! Glad to hear that, I think I remember sending it some time back. :)
Beautiful simply crushed!🥳
Great video as always! Very instructive and informative!
I look forward to hearing the completed tune as a whole.
Yeah, I’m working on shooting the full music video, but my daytime job is taking up some time right now. The song is up on SoundCloud though. :) soundcloud.com/eox-studios/reface-my-dx
Wow! Your are so good at what you are doing! Really inspiring!! Nice video, informative, inspiring, great song, and humble presentation!
Thanks mate Glad to hear that. Working on making some even better and more indepth tutorials, and not just showcasing. We'll see, gotta find an angle that's interesting. :)
Excellent tutorial! I'm learning the keyboard and your lessons are helping me greatly!
Great tutorial! I love my DX. Those drums sound amazing! You are a seriously talented musician! I'd love to see more tutorials like this. Peace \/.
Awesome! Please make more videos like this.
Nice work Anders
Inspirational! Fantastic jam and video. Thank you for sharing! 😊
Awesome tutorial. I'd love to see a specific tutorial on writing 80s bass lines for pop, new wave, etc.
Dexed is ace for DX7 sounds and free too if producing in a DAW! Cool tune :)
Awesome composition and sound design work on this one !! I especially liked your little counterpoint XD Counterpoints are always awesome :p
This video just made me sub. I've been trying to learn more about the DX, and am currently debating on buying one.
Awesome
Amazing job and amazing sounds! 😲
Anders. All your jingles kind of sound like they were the theme from ALF. It's so cool.
Någon gjorde "Variationer på Bamse" som doktorsavhandling eller något liknande så Variationer på ALF är väldigt akademiskt.
Haha.. now that's something I had completely forgotten! ruclips.net/video/z5VFngsQPok/видео.html
Yeah, I guess what I do is hugely inspired by stuff like this from the 80s and the early 90s. Maybe I should make a remake of some of these songs..hmm.
I'm also very much inspired by The Rippingtons and Spyro Gyra.. guess many of the same composers of the era had the same background as those guys (Berklee, Juliard and those teaching the guys that made the West Coast / LA Fusion scene) :D
I'm positive he makes it look way easier than it really is.
Thats great. I can learn so much from this tutorial. Thank you sooo much :)
Kein Podcast Thank you, happy to hear that. I plan to do some more indepth stuff once I figure out what and how. There are so many tutorials out there, that I need to find something that doesn’t become just a copy of everyone elses. :)
Cool I've been wanting some tutorials on this stuff.
Ensoniq ESQ 1!! Will be nice see a demo someday in your channel :)
Cloud Pad 7:39 sounds like the samples used in the game Earthbound
Where can I buy your Retro Grooves vinyls in Europe? Can't buy from the US 8-Bit guy web site. Delivery fee is to high.
Elsker musikken du lager. Stå på!
"Yerr a wizzerd, Ænderrs!" - Hagrid, probably
more more more! you rock!
It looks sooo easy, but it isn´t. Nice work!
I need an fm synth again. I’m torn between a reface dx, or a secondhand dx100, as I am really short of space in my studio. I loved my old dx100, but the reface looks easier to program even if it doesn’t have as much patch storage. Decisions decisions….
If space is a premium commodity, and you don’t mind using your computer with it: The Reface DX is gold. Remember that Yamaha has a software to store and load patches. So you can have more than the 32 built in slots. Soundmondo can be downloaded here: usa.yamaha.com/products/music_production/synthesizers/reface/soundmondo.html#product-tabs :)
Thanks Anders. I got the software.a few weeks ago for my iPad, thinking it would hasten my mind faster. But I also have patch base that I use with my microKorg which will store patches for the dx 100 as well as the reface dx. The other thing with the dx100 is it has an input for a breath controller, and an extra octave of keys. I have many controllers so the keys don’t matter too much, and I have an Ewi so I could use breath with the reface, and the reface has built in speakers for jamming anywhere. I loved what you did with it at synth reaktor with the 8bit guy. In. Conclusion I think the portability will swing it for me, the reface uses aa batteries and rhe dx100 uses c which makes it heavier. Who would think there’s so much to consider when de+icing between 2 synths that basically sound the same.
That 009 Toms sample sure does remind me of the intro to "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley.
I recently bought a Reface DX, still have to find out how it “behaves” among other instruments on 4tr cassette recordings. Your video gives a nice clue, even using only the default presets. Good video, thanks 👍
Thank you! Yeah, I believe if you just work enough with it, you can make something decent with just about anything out there. Of course, using effects and layering with other stuff and/or sample it with some tweaking, you can do anything.
The only problem with the Reface series is that you can only record one part at time so it’s a lot of back and forth while you develop your song. :)
it's like if Disco got a face-lift with 80's tones
Beautiful tutorial.
What drums samples did you use, is it a library on the market?
Hey. yes it is. Good call, I've added links in the description now. You can find it at Zenhiser.com: www.zenhiser.com/80s-retro-drummer.html They have a huge collection of samples for almost every genre you can think of, and much of it is useful, either as a whole or just simple beats, loops or sound clips to get you started. Highly recommended. :)
The DX7 should be used again in Modern Music!
I spy an ESQ-1 in the background!
The drums are very nice,what are they?
Thanks! www.zenhiser.com and Retro Drummer sample pack :)
Man, spotify when?
The song "Reface My DX" you mean? It's been out there for a year or so. Under the Retro Grooves Vol. 4 album, but should be available as a single too. :)
@@AndersEngerJensen Oh rad! I didn't see a Spotify listed in the description so I assumed you didn't have one.
0:25 I am subscriber of Anders, Dr Mix and 8bit guy.
did I won something ? :)
Haha.. I dunno... gotta have a chat with Dr Mix and The 8-Bit Guy first. ^_^
No, you also need to subscribe to Techmoan. ;)
A link to a grammar site, perhaps?
is it worth getting a reface DX if you already have a DX27 and FB01?
Well, depends, I’m not too familiar with those, but Believe you can get some additional sounds out of this one that the two others can’t. There is more to the editing on the DX that comes off in this video. :)
The DX Reface apparently uses 12 algorithms compared to the DX27's eight and it looks like only a few algorithms overlap between the two. So what Anders says is correct, you can get different sounds from the DX than you can from the DX27 and the FB01 (which **I think** uses the same algorithms as the DX21/27/100). I was surprised that Yamaha only went with 4 operators as opposed to an actual DX7 recreation when they issued the Reface, but to be honest, I'm glad to see a 4-operator system get some love! My first FM synth was the DX21. I gigged with it for years and still have it! 4 operators pretty much cover the foundation of most of the DX7's classic sounds, and are very serviceable. With 12 algorithms that the reface has, 4 operators are even more versatile!
@@jeffirokssynthchannel3747
Huh, didn't know it had so many algorithms. I assumed it was a simpler reimagining of the DX100 due to size, mini keys and 4-OP.
@@Tehstroyer Exactly what I thought until I looked a little closer! Not to say the DX100 (or 21 or 27) couldn't hold its own if Anders used one! :)
Alot to be said for the reface portability. The speakers are surprisingly adequate, and it is able to be battery powered. Good velocity sensitivity on the keys. It’s my favorite couch synth at the moment.
I’ve also experimented doing drums as audio clips as well, but find it tedious to work with. What are your thoughts on it? Do you get more precision in timing and sound by not using a software sampler?
Pasi Keränen Hi, yes I believe most DAWs are slightly more precise with audio files than with MIDI data as that is serial data that has to be processed. Espen Kraft has discussed this topic earlier and he’s discovered that MIDI data is ofte slightly off the grid even when quantized. I do think he has a point as the CPU has to process so much more stuff these days than what for instance the old Atari machines and dedicated sequencers had to do.
So I think you can get some better performance like this, eapecially if your machine is getting older like mine. ;)
@@AndersEngerJensen Thanks for the insight! Must have missed that Espen Kraft episode, but I remember some discussions around this in early Sonic Talk episodes. I've sometimes felt like I observed this myself. But it's so minor it's definitely more a "feel" than direct "darn that is way off".
I wonder if I could work around this with a bounce of the MIDI drums to separate channels, followed by beat detection and quantize of that.. Need to try this out! Cheers!
Pasi Keränen Yeah, I’m not sure he did an episode on this, but we’ve discussed it on forums and on groups.
Maybe we’ll make an episode on it later :)
how to translate the dx sound to midi？
Not sure what you mean? The Reface series got a dongle breakout that allows MIDI in and out so it’s just connected as normal. :)
Awesome vid, would you recommend the reface dx over the reface cs for the 80's synth sound like simple minds and van Halen? Idk much about them but our band would like to add a synth.
Depends… if it’s for adding some textures to an already well established sound, sure. If you don’t mind the mini keys.
It is a powerful synth with a lot of potential, but an MX61, MODX or something allround like that would perhaps be a choice you can grow more on as time goes by. The Reface series is partly limited to what each is recreating… whereas the allround ones have the entire palette at your disposal.
The bands of the 80s used a lot of other gear than just the DX7 so it would be wise to not limit yourself too much. :)
@@AndersEngerJensen thanks for the info, I don't even know how to play yet. But would like to learn. Any lower budget synth/keyboard recommendations for complete beginner that would also like to use it in a live performance when I'm good enough.
Something wrong with your screen recorder mate?
Not really, but I found out it was FCPX while rendering... could be dropped frames that caused it to hang a few times. 2009 MacPro doesn't go well with screen capture internally while playing and recording, so I was using the Black Magic Mini Recorder on my iMac to capture what I do in Digital Performer. Have to see how stable this setup is during the next few months. :|
why do you program drum sounds using audio samples direct in regions editor? digital performer has nano sampler out of the box, it's not a masterpiece but has all basic sampling function like loop points, transpose etc....you could import drum samples in it and controlling them using midi data like a normal synth, it would give you some advantages for example if you wanna replace or try a different sound in the middle or at the end of the production you dont have to reprogram all stuff..just import the new one.
Because this is how I like it. ;)
Dude! Help! I need to get the sound for The Cars “Let’s Go”. Can you make a video that shows me how to create that sound on my Reface DX?
Do you mean the «P5 Sync» lead sound?
Anders Enger Jensen The sound used at the opening of the song and then throughout. Starts on the A to B to D, C#. That one.
That’s the classic Prophet 5 Sync sound. It’s practically impossible to recreate on FM since the Prophet used a totally different sound synthesis. I could only get a little bit close on a four operator synth...
Anders Enger Jensen ok. I really appreciate you replying. Would you know if it’s possible on an old Yamaha SY55? I have one of those too.
Hard to tell, I have only the SY99, and that one has two more operators than the SY-55. However they both have AWM2 and samples, so I suspect it’s easier than just with the original DX-7 architechture. A Roland synth would be easier though.
So this has been bothering me: on Thomann's Reactor's sign, the name of every channel was there except for yours. Why is that? Am I just blind?
Well, it’s because when they asked The 8-Bit Guy to come, he said he really didn’t feel this was his place to be, but if I was going, so would he. Which was very nice of him, so they invited me, but I guess my name never came onto the list of all the products/logos etc. Not that it’s a problem for me though, I’m just thrilled to even be invited. 😁
Anders Enger Jensen oh I can only imagine how heavenly it must have been for you!
Amazing work...
I am going to be putting an 80s based album together next year. What computer programs are you using to create and compose these tracks? Including drums?
Thank you.
That’s cool! :D I’m using a mix of soft synths and real outboard synth/module. It’s about 60% outboards and 40% soft synths/samples. I then mix everything live on my Yamaha LS9-32 with some effects (Strymon Big Sky, TC Corona and Yamaha SPX90II etc.). Software: Refx Nexus2 with expansion packs, Korg Legacy Collection, Dexed, PG8X and some other ones.
Drums are usually a mix between samples from Vengeance and Zenhiser mixed with Motif X7.
@@AndersEngerJensen Thank you 👍🎹🎹🎹
Well, this looks like a nice little toy. I have both DX7 and DX7 II FD. Don't think I need more.
Nathan Furman If you have those two, you’re set, with some effects and the occasional stereo doubling of both synths, you can do all you need :)