We look into the creative process of world-renowned and critically acclaimed drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer Phil Collins.

After developing a reputation as a session drummer and a key member of the English progressive rock band, Genesis, Phil Collins began his career as a solo artist.

The Phil Collins Sound

He may have been unaware, but looking back, the timing of this foray was ideal. The period in the late 1970s and early 1980s was completely revolutionary for the recording industry, with so many new creative musical tools introduced onto the market.

Another interesting aspect of Phil Collins’ approach to music production is that he never intended to write hits initially. Rather than fame or commercial success, he simply saw his solo project as an artistic outlet that offered him the freedom of expression he wanted.

Roland CompuRhythm CR-78

Introduced by Roland in 1978, the CompuRhythm CR-78 was the first-ever microprocessor-controlled drum machine. Although limited, it has the ability to select and vary 34 different rhythm patterns.

With its intuitive interface, the CR-78 became an absolutely integral part of Phil’s songwriting process. He would start by selecting the rhythm part with the right “atmosphere” as he put it, and setting the tempo to match the feel he had in mind.

With the tape machine running, the CR-78 was always positioned just next to Phil’s drum kit. This way, he could play drums and sing over the unrelenting loops created by the CR-78, building ideas and arrangement concepts as he went.

If you’re looking for the classic CompuRhythm sound with all its familiar drum patterns, the Cherry Audio CR-78 plug-in provides an easy way to recreate it in your DAW.

• The History Of Roland

Cherry Audio CR-78 Drum Machine Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 49.00 € at

Sequential Circuits Prophet-5

When Phil went solo in the late 1970s, there wasn’t a massive range of polyphonic synths available like we have today. That being said, many of us would likely still prefer a Prophet-5 over many modern options.

The illustrious Prophet 5 was still quite new on the market when Phil began work on his debut album. With its simple controls and 5-voice architecture, you can generate anything from innocuous to outrageous sounds.

The beauty of the Prophet is that it’s easy to program, and like the Oberheim OB-8 he also acquired later, it always managed to sound interesting, whether it was placed in the background or the foreground of the mix.

You can hear the famous Prophet-5 chord sequence in the intro of In The Air Tonight, where it becomes the foundation of the song, along with the CR-78. The Sequential Prophet-5 is still in production as a reissue that can mimic the original’s various revisions.

• The History Of Sequential

Sequential Prophet 5

Customer rating:

(14)

Available for 3,799.00 € at

Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus

The VP-330 Vocoder Plus is another exciting instrument used by Phil Collins on his debut solo recordings, notably on In The Air Tonight. This sought-after instrument combines a paraphonic 10-band vocoder and a string synthesizer.

With the VP-330, you don’t actually have access to control each individual band. However, the presets sound great, and when combined with the BBD Ensemble effect, you can produce a hauntingly beautiful sound.

The fact that the VP-330 is relatively easy to use would have suited Phil nicely when putting together his first record, Face Value. His improvisational song and lyric writing style relies on spontaneity, so highly technical interfaces can sometimes hinder this.

As a modern alternative, the Behringer VC340 gives you the same authentic sound with an almost identical interface. Its limitation could well be a catalyst for creativity when making any style of music.

• More about Behringer clones

Behringer Vocoder VC340

Customer rating:

(106)

Available for 498.00 € at

SSL Listen Mic Compressor

Like most of the creatively groundbreaking aspects of the early Phil Collins records, the ideas came together while simply “messing around”. Similarly, the famous Phil Collins gated drum sound has an origin story that is also unintentional.

In 1979, engineer Hugh Padgham was working on a Phil Collins drum session for Peter Gabriel’s third solo album at Townhouse Studio in London. By accident, the talkback mic was left active while Phil was playing, resulting in a thunderous effect.

As the talkback circuit in the SSL 4000 B console couldn’t be patched into the recording path, Padgham promptly rewired it, allowing his mistake with the Listen Mic Compressor to be used creatively.

What we hear on the subsequent Phil Collins drum recordings is a more evolved version of this, with the addition of the recording console’s noise gate implemented.

• More about Analogue Consoles

SSL LMC+ Download

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 135.00 € at

AMS RMX16

The AMS RMX16 is a legendary digital reverb introduced in the early 1980s that Phil Collins was an early adopter of. It offered a selection of great-sounding reverbs and ambiences, with the now legendary non-linear algorithm that worked well on drums.

Once again, the interface is certainly Phil Collins friendly, offering easy operation and the ability to save your own presets. This allows the RMX16 to be used creatively rather than clinically, which suited Phil’s songwriting process.

At the time, there simply weren’t microprocessor-controlled reverb units like the RMX16 around that gave you both precision and flexibility. So it’s no surprise that it’s still a sought-after reverb in both plug-in and hardware format today.

In recent years, AMS Neve has created a 500-series reissue of the RMX16 with a similar interface and the same reverb algorithms, a great addition to any studio setup.

• More about 1980s Reverb

AMS RMX16

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 1,369.00 € at

Which of your favourite artists would you like to see in our Sound-alike series? Please let us know in the comments below!

More about Phil Collins:

• Official Artist Page
• More Sound-alikes

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post I Can Feel It: How To Sound Like Phil Collins appeared first on gearnews.com.

Cancel culture is something we see everywhere today. But surely, it wouldn’t happen to some of our favourite artists? From The Beatles to Rage Against The Machine, here’s why these songs were hated at release. 

Cancel Culture: Why were these all-time classics hated at release?

Rock music has never been far away from controversy, but isn’t that kind of the point? It doesn’t take a lot to upset your enemies or even your fans. Amps too loud, lyrics too strong, hair too long. It seems you can’t win.

However, even some of the most clean-cut artists over the years have experienced some form of cancel culture. Popular opinion has been quick to divide listeners. Let’s delve into the rights and wrongs of these 5 all-time classic hits, and why they might have been disapproved of once upon a time.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – The Beatles

Our first look at cancel culture comes from The Beatles’ revolutionary 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but how could the Fab Four ever cause uproar?

It appeared that the title was far too much for a somewhat naive late-60s audience. Speculation that the title of the track was a reference to ‘LSD‘, a popular term for the hallucinogenic substance. Although not shy with such pastimes, the group insisted that the track had much more innocent foundations.

Unfortunately, the BBC banned the track. An early form of cancel culture? Despite the song being inspired by a poem that was written by John Lennon‘s son, Julian, called ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’. Oh, the poor girl with kaleidoscope eyes never meant such malice.

Moreover, throughout the recording of the track, George Harrison uses his Rocky Fender Stratocaster. Complete with custom psychedelic paintwork and a Leslie speaker. Both of which are pretty hard to get hold of today, unless you get creative:

Axe Heaven George Harrison Rocky No customer rating available yet

Available for 39.90 € at

Hammond Leslie 3300 Portable Walnut No customer rating available yet

Available for 3,699.00 € at

Cancel Culture: God Save The Queen – Sex Pistols

Secondly, we’re looking at arguably one of the Sex Pistols’ most well-known numbers. The group were never far away from unpopular opinion, in-fact they were at the very centre of it. How could a basic rock riff in A hurt?

Today, cancel culture can occur as a result of an ill-timed social media post. However, this 1977  politically punk-fuled record featured treason which was disliked very much by a then-patriotic British public. Released during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II, the group ended up with a total ban on the song.

Furthermore, the ban on air-time only resulted in increased popularity. In addition to radio silence, popular record shops, such as Boots and Woolworths, refused to sell it. Speculations therefore arose at the time that there was a fix in the charts, as it never officially reached the number 1 slot despite massive sales.

The opening bars feature Steve Jones on guitar, blasting out of his 1972 Fender Twin Reverb amplifier. You can’t get hold of a new unit to the same specification, but you can still get pretty close:

Fender 68 Custom Twin Reverb

Customer rating:

(14)

Available for 1,988.00 € at

Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine

Our next look at cancel culture doesn’t necessarily stem from the release of this RATM record. Although, in 1993 Radio 1 accidentally played the uncensored version live on air. Subsequently leading to 138 complaints.

17 years after release, the group found themselves playing live on BBC Radio 5. This was as a result of the protest rock song making it to Christmas No.1 in 2009. Naturally, the BBC requested that the strong and expletive lyrics be censored for the live broadcast. Initially, the band obliged.

However, upon reaching the final reprise of the song lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha appropriately neglected to accept the BBC’s request. Not only did listeners get plenty of explicit language, but television viewers received a healthy dose of hand gestures in addition. Looking back it’s a cool but undeniably offensive performance in the true spirit of rock and roll.

Notably of RATM and Audioslave fame, Tom Morello played on that iconic performance. You can check out his signature Stratocaster. Complete with a Floyd Rose, kill switch and a nasty attitude!

Fender Tom Morello Strat FR RW BLK

Customer rating:

(9)

Available for 1,499.00 € at

Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

Following our list of artists that were potentially subject to cancel culture is The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Whichever way you look at it, the 1956 track was surrounded by various forms of bad press in period.

After an initial TV broadcast in June 1956 on The Milton Berlie Show, Elvis’ dance moves were considered lucrative, inappropriate and of ill taste. Historical context has to be applied of course. A clean and rosy-cheeked post-war American audience was clearly not ready for young male to move in the way that he did.

Unfortunately, this was not the only criticism that Hound Dog received. The track was originally recorded by Big Mamma Thornton back in 1952. Being a black Blues and R&B singer, the ideology that a white American male would record the same music was deeply frowned upon. Crazy right? In 2024 we can reflect on the hilariously outdated views and expectations of the 1950s.

Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Concluding our look at songs that were hated at release, is this cancel culture contender from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Unlike Elvis or The Beatles, this group were intentionally badly behaved.

Surprising, I know, but the BBC banned this song following a performance on Top Of The Pops in 1984. Unsurprisingly, it was on the grounds for what was considered obscene lyrics such as, ‘Relax, don’t do it, when you want to come…’. In addition, the track was accompanied by a fairly strong music video, even by today’s standards.

Originally released in 1983, Frankie Goes To Hollywood didn’t air again with the song until late 1984 when it was re-released and had the ban lifted for a Christmas performance. Ultimately it became one of the best-selling singles of that year. Impressive considering that it had the Band-Aid single to contend with.

Plug-in time! The legendary Jupiter-8 brushes shoulders with the likes of the Yamaha DX7 in terms of Synth royalty. You can get hold of this plug-in to sample some of the sounds from Relax at home:

Roland Cloud JUPITER-8 Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 222.00 € at

Cancel Culture: Forgive and Forget?

Today, we can smile and stream these controversial hits. Although, as we’ve looked at, things were quite different in their respective contexts. Or, were the BBC just trying to take away good music? What other records from musical history do you like that were initially frowned upon? Do let us know!

Video:

Further information:

• Get that Sex Pistols tone
• How to sound like The Beatles 
• Elvis Hologram World Tour

The post Cancel Culture: Why were these all-time classics hated at release? appeared first on gearnews.com.

Ambient is more popular than ever but it can be hard to make a living at it. Six professional ambient artists give advice on how you can do it too.

Ambient Music

The world is a stressful place. Since the pandemic a few years back, ambient music has become more popular than ever. Listening to a well-created ambient track can relax you, lower blood pressure and help you forget the hellscape outside your door.

There may be more need for ambient music than ever before but actually making a living by composing it remains an elusive thing. Streaming sites such as Spotify offer the most direct way to reach audiences but actually getting paid by Spotify can be difficult. Difficult – but not impossible. I spoke to six different artists from the ambient community to find out how they use Spotify and what other kinds of revenue streams they’re paddling in.

Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Michiru Aoyama

Japanese musician Michiru Aoyama has been getting a lot of press lately. He claims to earn $3000 a month from his music, the bulk of which comes from streaming on Spotify. His secret? He releases a new album every day!

Gearnews: For someone who wants to make money with ambient music by using streaming sites like Spotify, what is the most important thing to consider?

Michiru Aoyama: The most important thing is to write a song every day. There should be no sense of effort or obligation. Just follow your heart and make music.

“…I prefer to make music like taking snapshots.”

GN: Is song length important?

MA: In ambient music, songs often tend to be long. This is because it is a genre that immerses you in a sound world. However, I prefer to make music like taking snapshots. I prefer to express the small things that I notice and enjoy in my daily life.

GN: Is it important to release new music regularly? If so, how often?

MA: It is important to release (music) on a regular basis. Daily contact with your (audience) builds relationships. Releasing once a year inevitably creates a distance between you and your listeners. I want them to hear my music every day so that it blends in with the air.

GN: Are playlists important for making money?

MA: Most of my playback volume comes from there.

GN: How do you get onto playlists?

MA: The only thing I have done is to create (music) every day and deliver it wholeheartedly to the Spotify playlist editor.

The system of posting songs to the editor has changed since August 2023, I think. I used to post every day but now I have to wait several months before I can post. I am very disappointed.

GN: What gear do you use when you make ambient music?

MA: The equipment I use is based on musicians I respect, for example, Fennesz and Chihei Hatakeyama. My outboard gear is API 2500 and 8200a, Manley EQ, Neve Portico.

The audio interface is RME. As sound sources, I use PRS McCarty and Sequential Prophet-5. The DAW I use is Studio One. As for plug-ins, I often use Ozone, FabFilter, and Max/MSP.

Sequential Prophet 5

Customer rating:

(14)

Available for 3,599.00 € at

Presonus Studio One 6 Pro UG 1-6 Artist Download

Customer rating:

(5)

Available for 289.00 € at

API Audio 2500+

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 3,599.00 € at

iZotope Ozone 11 Advanced Download

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 399.00 € at

DF Tram

DF Tram is an ambient artist and DJ based in Zagreb, Croatia. He favours a sprawling sound heavy on sound design and has a forthcoming album on Alex Patterson’s Orbscure record label.

Gearnews: For someone who wants to make money with ambient music by using streaming sites like Spotify, what is the most important thing to consider?

DF Tram: It is difficult to make money on streaming sites like Spotify unless you have millions and millions of streams. It’s important to diversify and have multiple income streams – no pun intended. I feel that Spotify doesn’t pay artists fairly. My latest ambient release is going to be available exclusively on Bandcamp.

GN: Is song length important?

DF: I don’t think so unless you are aiming more toward the wellness/meditation crowd. I think people have gotten used to hearing ambient music because of its use in commercials and entertainment, so if you have an idea for a longer track, go for it.

“I release music quite often under different aliases…”

GN: Is it important to release new music regularly? If so, how often?

DF: I release music quite often under different aliases, more out of a drive to let feelings and emotions out. Releasing music is therapy for me and hopefully for others too. I think if you can release a couple albums a year, that is pretty good.

GN: Are playlists important for making money?

DF: If you are trying to make money on Spotify, it’s important to make it onto Spotify playlists. It’s one of the best ways to get discovered.

That said, most of the ambient artists I know aren’t getting millions of streams on there and don’t like the Spotify business model. I have not quite figured out how to get on these playlists.

GN: What gear do you use when you make ambient music?

DF: I use a combination of acoustic instruments, hardware, and software synths. Things such as singing bowls, melodicas, harmonicas, and microphones for field recordings can all find their way into my music.

I also have a few synths, with my favourite being the Moog Little Phatty. I use it a lot for trippy effects and bass sounds.

Thomann Tibetan Singing Bowl No12, 1kg

Customer rating:

(85)

Available for 39.00 € at

Thomann Melodica MKII

Customer rating:

(8)

Available for 25.00 € at

Moog Subsequent 37

Customer rating:

(118)

Available for 1,959.00 € at

Hollie Kenniff

Hollie Kenniff is a rising star in the ambient firmament. Her music is highly melodic and song-focused, with a heavy dose of emotion and atmosphere.

Gearnews: For someone who wants to make money with ambient music by using streaming sites like Spotify, what is the most important thing to consider?

Hollie Kenniff: First off, I think a lot of it has to do with luck. Sometimes things will get playlisted and boost streams and sometimes they won’t and it’s difficult to know what will hit.

In general, it’s a carrot-on-the-stick scenario where chasing the algorithm is going to lead to a certain amount of frustration. The best thing I would advise is to try and be honest about what you’re trying to achieve.

“try to be honest about what you’re trying to achieve.”

GN: Is song length important?

HK: It depends. Generally speaking, the 2-4 minute mark is where I like to stay. I think anything under tends to limit the ability to develop ideas and pull someone in and anything over tends to overstay its welcome. In regard to the algorithm, something that won’t take up too much space in a playlist is preferable.

GN: Is it important to release new music regularly? If so, how often?

HK: Generally, yes. Nowadays it’s important to keep things fresh in the listeners’ minds. Algorithmically, I think that this is favourable as well. The more that’s released, the better chance of getting on playlists or popping up in someone’s new releases sections.

GN: Are playlists important for making money? If so, how do you get onto playlists?

HK: This, I’m afraid, is somewhat of an unanswerable question. There’s really no formula to get playlisted. Yes, playlists can be important for making money, they help boost streams and put one’s music in front of an audience.

The radio function, on Spotify for instance, or autoplay for recommended artists, is also an important function, where your music can get pushed. But there’s no magic answer to this.

“Everyone has an inner voice…”

GN: Do you have any other tips for making a go of it as a professional ambient musician?

HK: Set realistic goals. Ambient music is having a moment right now but this sort of thing ebbs and flows. Try and make your music special.

Everyone has an inner voice and trying to understand that and being willing to be vulnerable will help the human connection to make people want to join you on your journey.

GN: What gear do you use when you make ambient music?

HK: I use a lot of things inside the box, so largely manipulating textures in the DAW (Studio One). I use guitar loops/pedals a lot.

My pedalboard is pretty simple, just an Eventide Space Reverb, Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water, a Ditto Looper pedal, and an expression pedal. My husband (Helios, Goldmund) and I have a Yamaha U3 upright piano, which gets a lot of use, and a Moog Grandmother.

Presonus Studio One+ Download

Customer rating:

(17)

Available for 169.00 € at

Eventide Space

Customer rating:

(103)

Available for 457.00 € at

Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water

Customer rating:

(54)

Available for 369.00 € at

tc electronic Ditto Looper

Customer rating:

(1859)

Available for 89.00 € at

Moog Grandmother

Customer rating:

(113)

Available for 1,289.00 € at

Ian Boddy

Ian Boddy is something of a legend in the ambient community, having ploughed his particular field of modular-heavy electronic music for decades now. He also runs the independent record label, DiN.

Gearnews: For someone who wants to make money with ambient music by using streaming sites like Spotify, what is the most important thing to consider?

Ian Boddy: In my opinion, any independent artist should have more than one iron in the fire. I have several musical income streams:

1. The DiN label selling CDs/vinyl/digital. It’s a combination of Bandcamp plus several selected distributors. Income from streaming is only a small part of this.
2. Library music. Over the years I have composed about 600 tracks which bring in a steady amount of income.
3. Sound design. I have done many sample libraries over the years as well as patch banks for various soft synths. This income can be a mix of commissions and royalties.

GN: What gear do you use when you make ambient music?

IB: I’ve designed two Eurorack modules in conjunction with AJH Synth, the Triple Cross and Chance Delay. This was a new venture for me where I came up with the concept and panel layout and they did the electronics.

It is of course another revenue stream but they provide ways of working in modular that are important to me, namely multi-input cross fading with the Triple Cross and randomisation with the Chance Delay.

AJH Synth MiniMod VCF black

Customer rating:

(11)

Available for 295.00 € at

AJH Synth Multi Burst Envelopes

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 299.00 € at

Aleksi Perälä

Aleksi Perälä is a true maverick. He’s also incredibly prolific, releasing long albums of ambient and electronic music roughly every two weeks.

Gearnews: For someone who wants to make money with ambient music by using streaming sites like Spotify, what is the most important thing to consider?

Aleksi Perälä: Spotify is not fair for artists.

GN: Is song length important?

AP: No.

GN: Is it important to release new music regularly? If so, how often?

AP: When it happens, it’s like magic.

GN: Are playlists important for making money?

AP: I don’t understand. Making money is not important.

GN: What gear do you use when you make ambient music?

AP: It doesn’t matter! May the auspicious happen.

Ambient Music: Diversify For Success

After hearing about Michiru Aoyama’s success with Spotify, I was really hoping that this might turn out to be a valid new way to generate income as an ambient musician. However, after speaking with all of the different artists here, I can only come to the conclusion that his is a unique case.

Kim Cascone, longtime ambient and experimental musician and label head of Silent Records (full disclosure: I record for Silent Records), told me: “You need a two-tiered approach. You need Spotify and streaming platforms and you need downloads like Bandcamp. And on top of that Spotify doesn’t pay out unless you break a thousand streams.”

Kim’s last point is especially important. As of this year (2024), Spotify is changing its payout policy, limiting payments only to those with more than 1000 streams.

One way to make sure that you get those 1000 streams is by getting onto playlists, as some artists have said. However, to achieve this you should make the music that you want to make, not the music that you think the algorithm wants.

“Having something to say rather than just writing pretty or relaxing music will go much further than simply getting playlisted,” advised Hollie. “You want to connect with people, not the algorithm.”

There’s no magic formula for getting rich with music these days. But then again, has there ever been?

More Information

• All about synthesizers
• All about effects

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post How to earn $3000 a month from Spotify by making ambient music appeared first on gearnews.com.

From creating minimalistic EBM-style dance music to working with the world’s biggest pop artists, we look into the world of Gesaffelstein.

French producer and DJ, Mike Lévy aka Gesaffelstein was born in Lyon, where he began experimenting with synthesizers in his high school days.

His subsequent collaborations with other prominent electronic artists like The Hacker and Brodinski proved to be fruitful, and in 2013 he released his seminal album Aleph on Parlophone Records and later on Skrillex’s OWSLA label.

The Gesaffelstein Sound

As his uniquely dark and minimalist sound became sought after, Mike looked outside of the EDM genre and has since worked with the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Mike Dean, Electric Youth, Haim, Miss Kittin, Daft Punk, and Lil Nas X.

KORG MS-20

As bands like Nizter Ebb and D.A.F. had a huge influence on Mike’s sound and musical vision, it’s not surprising that he’d get hold of a KORG MS-20 for his studio.

This classic semi-modular analogue beast is renowned for the powerful, textured lead sounds we can hear on so many of the early pioneering electronic records from artists like Liaisons Dangereuses.

The MS-20 also has a great-sounding noise oscillator that can be used to design hats, snares, and rises. What’s more, the filter adds extra punch and character to any sound, especially if you shape it with an envelope or LFO.

As a modern alternative, the MS-20 Mini might not have the same rip-roaring sound as the original, but it has the same authentic sound creation process.

• The History of KORG

Korg MS-20 mini

Customer rating:

(168)

Available for 579.00 € at

Arturia MiniBrute

Although it’s not exactly an elegant instrument, the Arturia MiniBrute is certainly effective for creating the raw unadulterated synth sounds we hear on Gesaffelstein tracks.

With its simple controls, the MiniBrute is a way to relive the experience of using analogue monosynths from the 1970s and early 1980s. Like the SH-101, the single oscillator architecture, and lack of patch memory add to the overall appeal.

The limitation of the MiniBrute’s design, in fact, becomes a catalyst in the creative process. In turn, this makes creating screaming leads, basses, sweeps, rises, and percussion more organic and fun.

Luckily, this synth is still available in the form of the MiniBrute 2 and it now offers semi-modular capabilities for even more flexible sound creation.

• More about Arturia

Arturia MiniBrute 2 Noir

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 489.00 € at

Roland MC-202

Similar in many ways to the SH-101, the MC-202 was the first instrument in what later became Roland’s MC groovebox line. It combines most of the 101’s controls and a 303-style CV/gate sequencer for a unique overall user experience.

Like the 101 – which is also in Mike’s studio, it’s a single-oscillator synth, but he has often used the MC-202 in his live rig. With a MIDI/sync converter, you can link it to Ableton Live or another MIDI sequencer making it still relevant in a modern electronic workflow.

The onboard sequencer might be a little clunky for simply creating monophonic synth lines. However, with external control, the process of building sounds is very similar to the 101.

As an alternative, the SH-01a is a versatile option for creating both monophonic and polyphonic sounds in the 101-style. What’s more, it also has a built-in sequencer which suits electronic music production.

• The History of Roland

Roland SH-01A grey

Customer rating:

(52)

Available for 379.00 € at

Image-Line FL Studio

Making minimalistic music makes sense in a minimalistic DAW like FL Studio. Rather than being confronted with a workflow that is focussed only on recorded audio, FL Studio throws you instantly into beatmaking.

When you combine the intuitive pattern sequencer and the drag-and-drop sampling workflow, FL Studio becomes a powerful creative tool. The included plug-ins and softsynths may be rather basic, but if you’re getting synth sounds from hardware this is less of a factor.

FL Studio is also a great DAW system to get into when you’re learning to make music. The not-for-experts approach makes the user comfortable to make mistakes and puts your ideas in the forefront rather than technical know-how.

The Producer Edition of FL Studio provides the best value for money, with a good collection of tools to get you started in every area of the music production process.

• More from Image-Line

Image-Line FL Studio Producer Edition Download

Customer rating:

(320)

Available for 239.00 € at

MFB-Synth II

The MFB-Synth II is another terrific synth that Mike has used in his Ableton Live setup over the years. Its lively analogue sound suits the Gesafellstein sound palette perfectly, and the onboard sequencer is great for programming leads and basslines.

With the Synth II, you get a simple monophonic platform for sound generation with a 3-oscillator engine and a great set of controls for live sound shaping. That being said, the modulation potential is vast, with LFOs that feature a one-shot mode.

What’s more, you can use velocity as a way to control the filter cutoff, amplification level, and pitch. Overall, it gives you a very intuitive and malleable approach to sound creation that suits electronic dance music perfectly.

To produce a similar sound, the compact Roland SE-02 is a great alternative that captures the same ease of use when it comes to making exciting sounds fast.

• More about MFB

Roland SE-02

Customer rating:

(50)

Available for 479.00 € at

This topic was suggested by one of our readers. You can see your favourite artists featured in our Sound-alike series, just let us know who they are in the comments below!

More about Gesaffelstein:

• Official Artist Page
• More Sound-alikes

*Note: This article contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post The Dark Prince Of Techno: How to Sound Like Gesaffelstein appeared first on gearnews.com.

The NAMM 2024 show is just around the corner, and we have the latest, breaking news on all the hottest releases. Bookmark this page to keep up with our rolling news coverage of the latest music tech releases, as they happen!

NAMM 2024 will be running from January 25-28 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California.

If you’re unfamiliar with the event, NAMM is a trade conference that has brought together manufacturers, professionals, and equipment dealers in the music, audio, and events sectors for over 100 years.

NAMM 2024 Rolling News Feed

As usual, we’ll be keeping a rolling news feed in the run up to, and for the duration of the NAMM 2024 show. Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up to date on the latest news at a glance!

Just to recap, let’s go check out some of the highlights from last year’s NAMM 2023 show:

• Yamaha DM3 live digital console
• WesAudio ng76 compressor
• Oeksound Soothe Live
• Warm Audio WA-MPX compressor
• Neumann KH 120 II studio monitor
• Hammond XK-4 portable organ
• Endorphin.es Ghost and Golden Master effects pedals
• ICON DAW controllers

What could we see at NAMM 2024?

From budget to high-end audio, we’ve had some exciting new gear releases recently like the new Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen range, the Focal Trio6 monitors, and the Rupert Neve Designs Master Bus Transformer.

That being said, NAMM 2024 promises to be one of the biggest shows in recent years. So in the meantime, we’re theorizing as to what we could see on the showroom floor.

Will the big synth brands like Roland and KORG have something in store for us? Or will Waldorf steal the show with an insane monster synth we didn’t know we needed?

What are your theories and which products are you hoping to see launched? Please let us know in the comments below!

More about NAMM 2024:

• Attend NAMM 2024
• Become an exhibitor

Video:

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! We will receive a small commission if you buy something through these links. We appreciate your support!

The post NAMM 2024: The latest news on the hottest releases. Catch it all here! appeared first on gearnews.com.

Although select purists may prefer the sound of SH-2 or the functionality of the MC-202, the iconic Roland SH-101 remains one of the sought-after mono synths of the 80s.

The simple yet highly intuitive design and architecture make it an inspiring creative tool to use, capable of producing a diverse range of sounds from the noxious to the irresistible and anything in between.

Which are the best Roland SH-101 plugins?

In a DAW environment, however, creating a software instrument that is as exciting to use as the original hardware unit is never an easy task.

In this post, we’ll check out some of the best SH-101 plugin emulations available, instances where the 101 has been used in popular music, and we’ll cover a few techniques for producing a more authentic sound with software. Hopefully, we can add some spark to your DAW workflow in the process.

Togu Audio Line Bassline 101

As with most of the TAL plugins, the interface is an almost identical replication with some added features that aim to improve the user experience.

The overall sonic quality of the TAL-Bassline 101 is distinctively dark for a plugin, which immediately makes it more realistic.

A conscious effort has been made to preserve the aspects of the SH-101 that make it such a unique instrument.

The source mixer remains with the addition of Filter FM, and even the built-in sequencer feels remarkably similar, despite the changes to the original note input method.

TAL-Bassline-101

Available for $60 at

D16 Group LUSH-2

The D16 LUSH-2 takes the original architecture of the SH-101 and puts it on steroids.

This is no longer a monosynth at all, but rather a multitimbral polysynth with expansions in almost every avenue possible.

The interface is divided into 3 sections: The main patch editing controls, the extensive modulation matrix, and the mixer, for balancing the 8 layers.

With the endless added features and effects, the LUSH-2 comes across more like Sylenth or Massive and makes the user slightly more inclined to dive into the patch library than design sounds from scratch.

D16 Group Lush-2 Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 169.00 € at

Roland Cloud SH-101

Roland was late to the software synths game, but they came to the party with decades of development experience and very little budget constraints if any.

This emulation will produce any of the SH-101 sounds accurately, but as you’d expect the finer details and idiosyncrasies are harder to replicate on software. This means the synth obviously behaves slightly differently in terms of how one part of the instrument interacts with another.

Modulation, especially when automated over longer timeframes produces a different result, and the sequencer has a slightly different feel and approach.

Roland Cloud SH-101 Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 111.00 € at

The Roland SH-101 in popular music

The 101’s sound has almost always been synonymous with dance music. Its architecture generally favors leads and basslines, and the onboard sequencer provides a great starting platform for any loop-based ideas making it quick to create new rhythms or melodies.

Artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Orbital, and The Chemical Brothers have used the 101 extensively in their productions. It became a tool for bringing a sense of uplifting euphoria to their music.

Meanwhile, other artists like Portishead have used it completely differently. Instead, creating almost theremin-like sounds as they did on Mysterons, the opening track from their classic trip-hop debut album, Dummy.

Techno artists like Mathew Jonson and Sebastien Mullaert from Minilogue have taken things even further, using the 101 so extensively that they have become virtuosos, expanding the possibilities far beyond what the instrument was ever intended to do. The SH-101 and MC-202 are also favorites of RHCP guitar hero John Frusciante with his Trickfinger project.

Softube Model 82

Available for $99 at

Recreating the classic 101 sound

Like most hardware, the experience of using a vintage Roland SH-101 or even the more recent SH-01A from Roland’s Boutique series is impossible to match with a software plugin. However, there are some hallmarks of the 101’s design that you can keep in mind if you are trying to create a more organic sound:

• The limitation of the envelope section, as the filter can only be unlinked when controlled via CV
• The onboard sequencer can offset the grid of your DAW quite nicely, giving patterns a different feel
• Portamento or glide control is crucial for more authentic-sounding leads or basslines
• When creating basslines with range, setting the filter keyboard tracking amount to zero will reduce the dynamics considerably, producing punchier results when compressed.

More about vintage gear and software modeling:

• Looking for a hardware synth? SH-101 Alternatives
• The History of Roland
• Roland SH-101/SH-01A User Group
• Everything vintage

Videos

* Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post Best Roland SH-101 VST Plug-ins: Recreate the iconic Sound in your DAW appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Stockholm-based punk outfit known as Viagra Boys has had a resounding international impact with their take on punk rock. Since the band’s formation in 2015, they’ve certainly been through some ups and downs.

From losing guitarist and founding member Benjamin Vallé in 2021 to touring with Queens Of The Stone Age in 2023 this band has done it all while continuing to put out great music and wow crowds at festivals worldwide.

The Viagra Boys Sound

When you’re listening to the Viagras’ tunes or checking out their hilarious videos, you’ll notice immediately that authenticity is the focus rather than virtuosity.

From their artwork – which early on was created by vocalist and tattoo artist, Sebastian Murphy – to their uncompromising stage presence, there is a cohesive thread that is undeniably unpretentious.

Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Benjamin’s blinding Arctic Pearl Fender American Ultra Telecaster was hard to miss in the early Viagra Boys performances. Customized with a Jazzmaster bridge and Fender CuNiFe Wide Range Humbuckers, this guitar build pays homage to the late 1970s punk era when the last Telecaster Custom was produced with CuNiFe magnet pickups.

The jangly bell-like tone produced by CuNiFe Humbuckers is certainly a part of the early Viagra Boys sound as you can hear on their debut album Street Worms. The clear, screaming sound of these pickups is really effective on songs like Sports where there’s a minimalistic use of guitar.

With the right choice of amp and distortion pedals, you can probably get a similar sound with the American Vintage II 75 Telecaster Deluxe. Or you can simply install CuNiFe Wide-Range Humbuckers on your Tele.

Fender AV II 75 TELE DELUXE MN BLK No customer rating available yet

Available for 2,269.00 € at

• More from Fender

Fender Marcus Miller Signature Jazz Bass

The bass guitar tone of Henrik Höckert is a hallmark of the Viagra sonic landscape, so it’s not surprising that he wields a Marcus Miller Signature Jazz Bass.

Instead of the usual tone controls found on a traditional Jazz Bass, the Marcus Miller Signature features a 2-band active EQ so you can create a wide range of bass sounds.

Also, it has an active/passive toggle switch to suit different applications, and the vintage-style single-coil pickups ensure a bright and punchy tone and character.

With the American Ultra Jazz Bass, you get a similar configuration, or you can simply outfit your J-Bass with the same Ultra Noiseless Vintage Single-Coil pickups.

Fender AM Ultra J Bass MN Cobra Blue

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 2,379.00 € at

• More from Fender

Moog Little Phatty

Synthesizers might not carry the melody or drive most Viagra Boys tunes, but they do add a great deal to the overall aesthetic of the band’s unique sound.

From their first EP, Consistency Of Energy, songs like Research Chemicals were laced with stark industrial synth lead parts created with the Little Phatty’s Oscillator Sync function. Although this can be achieved with a virtual analogue or software synth, it doesn’t have quite the same character.

The screaming, raspy, often atonal nature of these sounds is bolstered with the warmth of the Moog ladder filter. Remember that when creating these sounds, you can balance the 2 oscillator levels for the effect you want.

Based on the Phatty series synth engine, which was designed by Bob Moog, the Subsequent 25 has a similar feature set with a more knob-per-function approach to the interface design.

Moog Subsequent 25

Customer rating:

(23)

Available for 1,199.00 € at

• More from Moog Music

Tenor Saxophone

As with Elias’ synth parts, Oscar’s approach to the saxophone is very different from what you’d expect in a punk band. Instead of drawing focus with melodic lead parts, his sax simply adds to the madness, becoming more of a primitive rhythmic instrument.

Its sound is down to the type of embouchure and playing technique Oscar uses, which gives the music a wild and unhinged overall feel at times. Songs like Ain’t Nice are a perfect example of this.

Here, the tone of the saxophone forms an intense and chaotic soundscape when combined with the swarm of detuned synth sounds.

Although as a skilled player, Oscar could probably create these sounds on virtually any tenor sax, it’s unlikely that he’d be touring without a professional quality instrument like the Schagerl Superior Tenor Sax.

Schagerl Superior Tenor Sax T-1VB

Customer rating:

(1)

Available for 2,549.00 € at

Gretsch Drums

The drum sound and mechanics of Tor Sjödén’s playing style are essential aspects of the Viagra Boys sonic landscape. While extremely technical phrasing is not necessarily required, the focus relies on a rock-solid sense of timing and dynamics instead.

Besides his Gretsch kit, Tor also uses a Roland SPD-SX for playing back claps, snares, and other samples. In Just Like You, for example, he triggers a Linn-style snare that gives the song a unique, electronic feel.

Natural ambience is also an important part of the drum sound which sounds natural for the most part. The kit may not have been tracked in the largest room, but there’s still a healthy dose of overheads in the mix.

Luckily Gretsch kits like the Catalina Club Studio are relatively affordable, but the key will be to find a decent-sounding room where you can record drums.

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Studio – SWG

Customer rating:

(50)

Available for 859.00 € at

• More from Gretsch

Which of your favourite artists would you like to see in our Sound-alike series? Please let us know in the comments below!

More about Viagra Boys:

• Official Band Page
• More Sound-Alikes

Video:

*Note: This article contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post Shrimptech Enterprises: How to Sound like Viagra Boys appeared first on gearnews.com.

Murder on the Dancefloor was a hit for Sophie Ellis-Bextor back in 2001. But guess what? It’s back and bigger than before. Why the sudden rush for this disco bop? 

Murder On The Dancefloor: Why is this 00s dance hit going viral?

Royalties, aren’t they great? Forget the lottery, write yourself a catchy and preferably seasonal song, and watch year after year as your bank balance doubles.

Kate Bush experienced unexpected sales after her 1980s hit, Running Up That Hill, was featured on Netflix‘s popular series, Stranger Things. Noddy Holder, Shakin’ Stevens and The Darkness are all artists who benefit from returning Christmas sales.

Next to receive a cheeky bonus is Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who originally released Murder On The Dancefloor over 20 years ago. Now at the start of 2024, it’s on the rise again.

Saltburn

We must first ask why the hit has come back into the charts. Well, that is thanks to the late 2023 movie release of Saltburn.

The film, directed by Emerald Fennell, landed in movie theatres at the end of last year. Saltburn is a comedy psychological thriller and features Murder On The Dancefloor. Thus far, the movie has grossed $20.3 million! So, it’s not doing badly.

Murder on the Dancefloor features in the final scene of the film, where the film’s lead, Barry Keoghan, dances entirely naked to the song. As a result, it has left quite an impression.

Murder On The Dancefloor

Originally, Sophie Ellis-Bextor achieved a No.2 chart position with Murder on the Dancefloor. However, she has recently charted again at No.8 more than 20 years after the original release.

Furthermore, the track has seen upwards of 40m views across TikTok, as well as Spotify streams hitting 2.2 million in the weeks following the film’s release.

As the lyric says, ‘If you think you’re getting away, I will prove you wrong’!

Unusual Structure

Overall, the song is just a bit strange. As it doesn’t feature your standard, verse-chorus form.

Usually, you’d have a set of chords that form the verse, and a contrasting set of chords to form the chorus. However, with Murder On The Dancefloor, you get the same set of chords for each section. Giving the song an infectious feel is the descending and then ascending chord progression from G#m down to F#m, and then back up again.

Moreover, Guy Pratt, notably in his work with Pink Floyd, played the bass on this track. Arguably, the bass line brings what is otherwise a sedate arrangement to life.

Guy is most well known for playing his modified 1964 Fender Jazz Bass “Betsy”, which he acquired from The Who’s late bass player. John Entwistle. The Fender Jazz bass is synonymous with disco, and Guy’s choice of retrofitted EMG pickups would make it a great choice for playing disco and funk.

Fender AM Ultra J Bass RW Ultraburst

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 2,349.00 € at

EMG J Set

Customer rating:

(86)

Available for 159.00 € at

Murder On The Dancefloor – Chords

Fame Once More

As previously discussed, this is not the first time that a song has come back to life. More often than not, people misplace a brilliant piece of music in their heads and realise that it is indeed pretty good.

From beyond the grave, Tom Petty, has managed to get back into the charts. Following the release of the Grand Theft Auto VI video game trailer, Love Is A Long Road, also received a substantial revival.

Petty’s 1989 track received a 36979% increase in Spotify streams. And do you know what? It is a really good, no longer forgotten, song.

The Power of Social Media

As viewers left movie theatres, they took to their phones and searched for the previously forgotten dance hit. This caused an increase in Spotify streams and TikTok views. If something goes viral on TikTok, it’s everywhere. From holiday vlogs to food shopping hacks, whatever song is trending will be used as background music.

You can see just how much of an impact the song has made on TikTok:

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s personal TikTok page
• Comedy Video using the song
• Love Actually ‘remix’
• Sophie’s Official Website

Murder On The Dancefloor: You’d better not kill the groove!

What have we learned so far? Place an impressionable movie scene at the end of a film with a catchy song, and you’ve got a hit.

So, will you be listening to this early 2000s hit again? Or, have you never stopped? Has it remained a guilty pleasure over the past 20 years?

Video:

*Note: This article contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post Murder On The Dancefloor: Why is this 00s dance hit going viral? appeared first on gearnews.com.

Promo videos for new synths, guitar effects, or software plugins can be a dull affair. If you’re as bored by announcers reciting endless feature lists over montages of Ken Burns-ified product shots as we are, you’re going to love the clips that made our list of the best product videos of 2023! Enjoy!

Best Product Videos 2023: Old Blood Noise Endeavors

Being a synth head myself, I was only just introduced to the wondrous world of Old Blood Noise Endeavors’ promo videos when my colleagues pointed them out to me. And I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing all this time. For each new pedal release, the Oklahoma-based pedal manufacturer comes up with an even crazier idea than before. These aren’t product videos, they’re movies! I honestly think they deserve to be shown at festivals.

From the Beam Splitter distortion to their most recent endeavor, the limited-edition Dark Light, Old Blood Noise Endeavors released some of the best, most captivating, and sometimes mildly disturbing product videos we’ve seen last year. Honestly, I’d like to know the rituals and/or substances involved in creating these. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire playlist on YouTube – there’s so much more to discover.

Old Blood Noise Endeavors pedals are available at Thomann.

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter Distortion No customer rating available yet

Available for 249.00 € at

• More from Old Blood Noise Endeavors

Aclam Guitars The Mocker: Hey Macca, hand me Rocky!

AI was everywhere last year, so why not use it to create a fun product video? Instead of hiring a professional narrator to explain the outstanding features of their new Mocker fuzz pedal, Aclam Guitars made a few phone calls, and sure enough, none other than the Fab Four themselves met up in the studio to share some stories from the good old days. They even heard a well-kept secret: Apparently, Aclam only has enough New Old Stock diodes to make 200 of these excellent pedal emulations of the Vox UL730 fuzz circuit, so hurry up to claim yours! What’s this BIAS thing again?

The Mocker from Aclam Guitars is available at Thomann.

Aclam The Mocker No customer rating available yet

Available for 309.00 € at

• More from Aclam Guitars

Blair Rebound: best product video pls watch

While we’re on the subject of AI, have you ever wondered what it would sound like if 2Pac and Eminem were to check out the latest and hottest Max for Live device together? Rebound is a very cool spectral effect for shaping the perfect bass and drawing unique filter shapes. And did we mention that you can use 256 volume LFOs? No wonder the two rap legends are impressed! On a side note, now we finally know that pink is Slim Shady’s favorite color for MIDI! 

Rebound is available from shopbyblair.com.

Bastl Instruments Basil: Space Delay meets Animation

Basil is Bastl Instruments’ new “Space Delay” module for Eurorack. To showcase its capabilities, the Czech developer dreamed up a beautifully animated video that perfectly complements the intricate repetitions and echoes that make up the soundtrack. It’s like seeing what you’re hearing! If you’re looking for a Eurorack delay that will send your patches to another dimension, this clip will leave you no choice: It’s gotta be Basil!

Bastl Instruments Basil is available at Thomann.

Bastl Instruments Basil No customer rating available yet

Available for 299.00 € at

• More from Bastl Instruments

Hologram Electronics Chroma Console: All Colors of Sound

One of the most exciting pedal releases of the year was accompanied by one of the best product videos. Together, the colorful images and the awesome soundtrack do a fantastic job of getting all the info across without getting on your nerves with unnecessary promo talk. All Hologram Electronics had to do was have the Chroma Console speak for itself. After five minutes, you’ll know everything you need to know about this extremely versatile multi-effect – and you’ll probably want one! In my book, that makes the clip for the Chroma Console one of the best product videos of the year. 

The Hologram Electronics Chroma Console is available for pre-order directly from the manufacturer for $399. It should arrive in February.

• Product page
• More from Hologram Electronics

More Best Product Videos

• Best Product Videos of 2022

The post Best Product Videos of 2023: Promo Clips that Rocked appeared first on gearnews.com.