Cuckoo's look is the 'i've just got out of bed after a heavy night ,but i'm still twice as cool as the coolest guy you know' look. Nice work my friend.Reg.
Twisted electrons are very lucky to have you demo their creation! I bet they'll sell more units after your video where, as always, you do share so well the joy you have while discovering a new machine and jamming.
Thanks. Yeah it's initially a rather niche instrument, by a small manufacturer. I bet most who are into that niche already got one last year when it was new. But I hope to share it to possibly a few more people. One of my favourite machines.
Bought this synth a year ago and it's the most alien sound device that I've ever tried. I miss a little screen a lot. You can get lost very easily. It can be very changeling to make music in it but it's a excellent piece of gear. A classic. I don't know if you can find sounds like that in other synths.
They have quite unique creations for comparatively little money as opposed to other "fabrique" producers. I got the MegaFM 2, TherapSid, hapiNES-L as well as the Blastbeats.
The "wiggle" function is my favorite part. I like to record several variations of the same sequence for interesting little flourishes in a track, and wiggle makes it really easy to get stuff I wouldn't have thought of on my own.
I can be in a terrible mood, and halfway through one of your videos, I'm happy and inspired to write something. Whatever pissed me off is literally forgotten. Thank you for restoring balance to my universe brotha!
I still have a lot to learn, but I just love how wonky it is. I can sit for hours with this machine just playing with sliders to see what happens. Bell-kind-of-sounds are my favorite. FM is so good for that!
I saw people using it as a pretty heavy and glitchy beat machine mostly. The same for the Mega FM. But I think they are more interesting used a bit more delicately.
Holy crap, these are cool sounds. I REALLY don't need more gear, but you are making me take a careful look at this thing. Your last track sounded like it was pulled straight off the Celeste soundtrack. Beautiful stuff.
Yeah absolutely! I’ll study the soundtrack of Thunderforce 4 and see how they programmed the boss music, which kind of approaches that territory. Not the same chip, but close enough to get some pointers :D
This is crazy, I'm thinking of ordering it for live music! Is it possible to save sets that can be easily recalled? Will you explore this topic in the next video? Thank you so much, love your work and the care you put in it
Would love to see a blast beats Mega FM dual jam from you Cuckoo, hope you're well man! Still enjoying these videos. Just pulled the trigger and grabbed a Mega FM and it's incredible :)
Very Detroit-y sound coming out of that lil' machine. Sounds great! Bet if you layered over some more hefty drum samples you could make some dope club beats with it.
this is really cool. I checked out the midi implementation chart, it looks like midi goblin should be able to save the patch parameter values...this would allow you so save your parameter values and load them to different patterns you have saved. I really really want to test this out....
Yeah it's a small company, and they build them in batches. The estimated numbers are based on a hunch, and on how many people sign up for the "notify when available". Let them know you're thinking about it by signing up to get notified 🖤 One day!
Very good drum machine, but the step sequencer is mind blowing. I need to clear automation every time when I do Arp on step sequencing so they dont tie and poly meter is quite different from others. It is a very powerful groovebox when you get used to it.
I eat good content like biscuits, so you feed some bird today ! I really have my eye on the chip tunes one from Twisted Electrons, the AY3. This one suits you well, as we can hear.
Hello, in Your video you said that you would have done A MEGA TUTORIAL on this wonderful machine you haven't given it a second thought, have you? Thanks very much
Great stuff, sounds gooooood Kind of wish someone would make a standalone 8 channel step sequencer with those nice clicky buttons this has, hell the perkons has 4 channel one, wish someone made one standalone.
Make the check out to TRVE CVCKOO!!! I just ordered one of these... well technically, my wife did. I hope she doesn't steal it from me like she did the MPC. This video has completely sold me on the Twisted Electrons Blast Beats. Of course the name "blast beats" makes me thing of Melt Banana, Nasum, Brutal Truth, Napalm Death, and/or Curse of the Golden Vampire's 2nd album. Very interesting choice of naming. But can one make grindcore/breakcore style "blast beats" with Blast Beats?!? It will be interesting to see how this integrates in our current IDM/dark-ambient/acid/breakcore-esque projects. In fact... I cannot WAIT to pair this thing with our "go-to" devices (Polyend Play, Drumlogue, SH-4d, East Beast, Behringer Edge, and Model Samples) And after seeing this, its like... WHO NEEDS A SCREEN!!?!?! And the music... Seriously great stuff!! Very Rephlex/Tigerbeat6/Planet Mu-esque!!! I am SOLD!!! PS: Do those labels still exist in 2024?!? Cheers from the land of Delco PA!
This looks and sounds like a more user-friendly answer to Elektron's Model Cycles or their Syntakt. It's certainly priced between those two FM grooveboxes. Is there a Cuckoo demo/review for Twisted Electron's HapiNES?
A lot of the drum sounds are lower bit rate and less pleasing, I do enjoy the Genesis sound, but what stands out for me here are the synth sections. Those are on a whole other level!
The rhythm section is very limited. It's all about searching for a sweet spot that makes sense in the arrangement you're making. And yeah, the synth tracks, and applying Wiggle randomisation is truly a door opener for a really special place!
@@truecuckoo do you have an Opsix? I forget if that's part of your permanent collection. If you are feeling inspired, I'd love to see how you design a sound similar to the synth parts here!
hi cuckoo, as always great sounds and demo : ) ...i wanted to ask you if you ever paired the Blastbeats with the MegaFM sequencing it from the BB...never seen a video in youtube of this great DUO :D , i own a megaFM and im having lot of GAS for the BlastBeats in a long time, i wantedto know if its a good cuple :D
It's got a Ensoniq ESQ1/SQ80 vibe but of a very drum synthesis machine nature... & direction Ensoniq never went in... They didn't dabble in drum machines & generally had the same plain or loose on board sequencers in there time
I wish the major companies made devices this well concieved. Especially at a reasonable price. I look at some of the latest offerings from the big guns, and they aren't half as interesting as this.
@@djcuvcuv you can play the different channels with each MIDI channel. But polyphony is very specific per channel. 2 poly on the last two channels I think? Monophonic on the other channels. And some of the drum channels share operators.
Would you say it's imperative to have another sequencer(ks37 in your case) to get this machine to shine or is it capable of that by itself? I've got a bspro and use it nicely with my drum machines but am really interested to see what the blast beats offers melodically. Reckon I'd need a key based sequencer for that? Cheers, love the vids
I’d say if you’re not using the built in sequencer you’re losing 50% of the magic. A lot of these cool glitchy sounds he’s getting out of it are dependent on sequencer tricks/p-locks..
It's a small, streamlined company that doesn't have a lot of costs to cover. Plus (I'm thinking out loud here) the OPL3 component, as I understand it, is leftovers from the prime time when this was produced in the 90's. Due to the immense popularity back then, much due to the success of the SoundBlaster, they were produced in high quantities, and are not that expensive to get by now. And there's no snazzy OLED UI, or advanced CPU reverb etc. It's very bare bones, saving a lot of money.
Haha yeah I didn’t think about it until people started commenting about it. In this case it’s a reference to the old sound card Soundblaster from the 90’s which had this sick synth chip in it.
I have reported the issues that I've found during my time with it. The developer is working down my list of issues, and a firmware is forthcoming. I'll continue with my Tutorial once the new firmware is done! The most important when finding bugs is to contribute by filing detailed bug reports on how to recreate the issues, to the developers, so that they can squash the bugs in a firmware update.
“Why do I love Blast Beats so much?” Because it’s better sales pitch compared to, “great synth but you don’t really need it if you already have 7 or 8 pieces of gear?
Because it's one of the heaviest drum synths around and you're planning to switch genres over to making industrial noise metal? I'm kidding. Real talk it's a great sounding machine and I gotta fight myself to not buy one every time I see it ❤
Twisted Electrons is a very small company making small runs of niche instruments. I just happen to love these niche products :D Sign up on their email list to get notified when new stock arrives. They sometimes take preorders too.
@@truecuckoo how does it stack up compared to Sonicware Mega synthesis I know the blast has true chips but just curious 🧐 cause ya used both and I got a mega on the way
@@SonicVibe the Mega, I’d say, is a bit more organised and dependable. They’re a bigger team and worked on their system and sequencer for many years in many machines. But the wonkyness of the BlastBeats, and direct access to all parameters, which can be recorded into the sequencer, is a big factor in how deliberating it feels, and crazy you can go. And there’s a certain vibe with the real hardware chip that is hard to touch with emulation. Mega sounds good, but not as whacky as a real chip. They’re not the same chips though. But similarities in sound. The Mega can’t sequence deep sound engine parameter locks. It can do top level parameter locks, and preset switching per step, for a more organised way of sequencing. And it has more flexible polyphony.
Yeah, sign up and let them know you're interested. Based on interaction they will make a better estimate on how many to build the next batch. It's a small company.
no display no menu diving. all functionality at your finger tips. awesome. thanx for sharing!
Yeah! Thanks 🤗
Those are some of the best percussive FM tones I have heard. That machine is very warm and musical.
I bought this machine a few years back because it's tones transported me back to the soundtrack for the video game Secret of Mana.
I love Cuckoo's effortless style. No sign of the struggle of pushing the next INSANE and GAME CHANGER material out whatsoever.
I came here for synths doing death metal style drums. Damnit. Now I got an idea!
Do it! 🤘🏽
Cuckoo's look is the 'i've just got out of bed after a heavy night ,but i'm still twice as cool as the coolest guy you know' look. Nice work my friend.Reg.
Twisted electrons are very lucky to have you demo their creation! I bet they'll sell more units after your video where, as always, you do share so well the joy you have while discovering a new machine and jamming.
Thanks. Yeah it's initially a rather niche instrument, by a small manufacturer. I bet most who are into that niche already got one last year when it was new. But I hope to share it to possibly a few more people. One of my favourite machines.
Of course you love it. The first time I heard this machine, it made me think of your music.
Ha ha, yeah this is my kind of instrument for sure ❤️
@@truecuckoo and you make it sing
Bought this synth a year ago and it's the most alien sound device that I've ever tried. I miss a little screen a lot. You can get lost very easily. It can be very changeling to make music in it but it's a excellent piece of gear. A classic. I don't know if you can find sounds like that in other synths.
That last track was so sick Cuckoo!
Oh thank you so much Ed! ❤️
another great jam session. love your work bro!
This whole video was so relaxing and mesmerising
Before I’ve even heard this thing I want it. I love Twisted Electrons, already have their original Mega FM
They have quite unique creations for comparatively little money as opposed to other "fabrique" producers. I got the MegaFM 2, TherapSid, hapiNES-L as well as the Blastbeats.
Haha what great timing, i just ordered one! Cant wait, excellent video dude!
That was beautiful
Like an alternate universe OMD beat maker
Thank you!
Thank you so much 🤗
Thanx for the flavours! Loooking forward to your full tutorial on the blast beats
Great sounds and love the beat sand melodies you are getting out of it! Loves the psychadelic video fx too 🤩
Such a nice way to wake up this morning. Should be named Cuckoo beats.
The "wiggle" function is my favorite part. I like to record several variations of the same sequence for interesting little flourishes in a track, and wiggle makes it really easy to get stuff I wouldn't have thought of on my own.
What an excellent melody you played when you started making that groove. Great video!
Thank you so much! ❤️
I can be in a terrible mood, and halfway through one of your videos, I'm happy and inspired to write something. Whatever pissed me off is literally forgotten. Thank you for restoring balance to my universe brotha!
I still have a lot to learn, but I just love how wonky it is. I can sit for hours with this machine just playing with sliders to see what happens.
Bell-kind-of-sounds are my favorite. FM is so good for that!
Man i love blast Beats too
Love the melody on the first beat! Sounds like I found a secret level 😊
❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely mesmerizing sounds. Love it
Thank you!
such a cool synth! I haven't heard of it until this video, but now its at the top of my synth list to purchase.
I saw people using it as a pretty heavy and glitchy beat machine mostly. The same for the Mega FM. But I think they are more interesting used a bit more delicately.
Yeah it’s definitely an instrument that can go into a lot of territories.
This boy is very reasonably priced :o
Nice one! I've got mine some weeks ago, and I love it. I run it through a Bastl Thyme and the OTO Boum and they really make it shine.
Ooh, nice!
Cuckoo, man! I absolutely love that Tshirt you’re wearing! I want iiiit!!
Thanks man! There are still some sizes and colours available in my merch store. tigernet.no/artist/931457-true-cuckoo
Holy crap, these are cool sounds. I REALLY don't need more gear, but you are making me take a careful look at this thing. Your last track sounded like it was pulled straight off the Celeste soundtrack. Beautiful stuff.
The Wiggle goes HARD
This thing seems to have been purposely made for you , Cuckoo :) Awesome stuff!
Yeah I know! Dream come true. Thanks ✨
dang,amazing!! please do a whole album off this synth (like the one with digitone)
Last track so siiick
Some sounds in there remind me of Earthbound. Nice
It looks like a fun box.
Very cool 😎 you make it look so very easy. I literally want everything you demo.
Cuckoo+FM = fluffy magic ❤
I like the thumbnail.
Put some extra efforts into it this time :D
You should make some blast beats with the blast beats…that’d be sick…much love big dog!
Yeah absolutely! I’ll study the soundtrack of Thunderforce 4 and see how they programmed the boss music, which kind of approaches that territory. Not the same chip, but close enough to get some pointers :D
Please make an entire album with only this machine. And the tx6 !!
I’m intrigued 🧡
I can’t afford it now, but this is the sound I’ve been looking for. OPL3 sound brings me back to childhood
Such fun.... the sound of video games back in the day
I was waiting for this video 🎉 thank you
✨
Fantastic 😊 love your enthusiasm. Thanks
Wonderful demo. Love that chill piece. ❤
I've had my eye on this for a while. Excited to see what you can do with it Cuckoo!
Yeah same, same. Been thinking about it ever since the launch. I love it.
This is crazy, I'm thinking of ordering it for live music! Is it possible to save sets that can be easily recalled? Will you explore this topic in the next video? Thank you so much, love your work and the care you put in it
Would love to see a blast beats Mega FM dual jam from you Cuckoo, hope you're well man! Still enjoying these videos. Just pulled the trigger and grabbed a Mega FM and it's incredible :)
Very Detroit-y sound coming out of that lil' machine. Sounds great! Bet if you layered over some more hefty drum samples you could make some dope club beats with it.
the sounds are amazing!
Still waiting for the next video with the blast beats, full tutorial 😊
One of my favorite companies. I'll be buried with my TherapSID
thought you got into black metal for a minute
got whiplash from bopping too hard to these beats !!!! SICK
Oh gotta loosen up :D 🤗 thanks!
this is really cool. I checked out the midi implementation chart, it looks like midi goblin should be able to save the patch parameter values...this would allow you so save your parameter values and load them to different patterns you have saved. I really really want to test this out....
I look for these a few times a year and they are never in stock. One day I'll have one!
Yeah it's a small company, and they build them in batches. The estimated numbers are based on a hunch, and on how many people sign up for the "notify when available". Let them know you're thinking about it by signing up to get notified 🖤 One day!
Actually they're taking preorders now. Shipping in April!
@@truecuckoo I just cried a little
Very good drum machine, but the step sequencer is mind blowing.
I need to clear automation every time when I do Arp on step sequencing so they dont tie and poly meter is quite different from others.
It is a very powerful groovebox when you get used to it.
I eat good content like biscuits, so you feed some bird today ! I really have my eye on the chip tunes one from Twisted Electrons, the AY3. This one suits you well, as we can hear.
Looking forward to a tutorial and a new firmware....
Ive had mine for over a year and the midi channel assignment has always been an issue.
Hello, in Your video you said that you would have done A MEGA TUTORIAL on this wonderful machine
you haven't given it a second thought, have you? Thanks very much
so good!
Great stuff, sounds gooooood
Kind of wish someone would make a standalone 8 channel step sequencer with those nice clicky buttons this has, hell the perkons has 4 channel one, wish someone made one standalone.
Make the check out to TRVE CVCKOO!!!
I just ordered one of these... well technically, my wife did. I hope she doesn't steal it from me like she did the MPC.
This video has completely sold me on the Twisted Electrons Blast Beats. Of course the name "blast beats" makes me thing of Melt Banana, Nasum, Brutal Truth, Napalm Death, and/or Curse of the Golden Vampire's 2nd album. Very interesting choice of naming. But can one make grindcore/breakcore style "blast beats" with Blast Beats?!?
It will be interesting to see how this integrates in our current IDM/dark-ambient/acid/breakcore-esque projects. In fact... I cannot WAIT to pair this thing with our "go-to" devices (Polyend Play, Drumlogue, SH-4d, East Beast, Behringer Edge, and Model Samples)
And after seeing this, its like... WHO NEEDS A SCREEN!!?!?!
And the music... Seriously great stuff!! Very Rephlex/Tigerbeat6/Planet Mu-esque!!! I am SOLD!!!
PS: Do those labels still exist in 2024?!?
Cheers from the land of Delco PA!
That is weird and i like it!, surprise us with your full tutorial please
Def on my list.. had the Mega Fm. Is the blast beat punchy like an UNO drum?
This looks and sounds like a more user-friendly answer to Elektron's Model Cycles or their Syntakt. It's certainly priced between those two FM grooveboxes. Is there a Cuckoo demo/review for Twisted Electron's HapiNES?
A lot of the drum sounds are lower bit rate and less pleasing, I do enjoy the Genesis sound, but what stands out for me here are the synth sections. Those are on a whole other level!
The rhythm section is very limited. It's all about searching for a sweet spot that makes sense in the arrangement you're making. And yeah, the synth tracks, and applying Wiggle randomisation is truly a door opener for a really special place!
@@truecuckoo do you have an Opsix? I forget if that's part of your permanent collection.
If you are feeling inspired, I'd love to see how you design a sound similar to the synth parts here!
hi cuckoo, as always great sounds and demo : ) ...i wanted to ask you if you ever paired the Blastbeats with the MegaFM sequencing it from the BB...never seen a video in youtube of this great DUO :D , i own a megaFM and im having lot of GAS for the BlastBeats in a long time, i wantedto know if its a good cuple :D
"That is weird and I like this."
and here i was thinking this man was going to talk about grindcore for 16 minutes
It's got a Ensoniq ESQ1/SQ80 vibe but of a very drum synthesis machine nature... & direction Ensoniq never went in... They didn't dabble in drum machines & generally had the same plain or loose on board sequencers in there time
that sounded awesome. has more to do with your taste and skill, than the gear, but it seems to be a nice piece.
11:58. I would be saving too. Super.
lovely
hi cuckooo :) still waiting for that BlastBeats Tutorial...please! :D
I like synths. I also like death metal. .....I watched this whole video and DID NOT HEAR a SINGLE blast beat. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just say it. 90s gaming is hitting you washing over and old feeling of isolated discovery
I am here from the future
I wish the major companies made devices this well concieved. Especially at a reasonable price. I look at some of the latest offerings from the big guns, and they aren't half as interesting as this.
beautiful sounds as usual. Cuckoo, how would you compare blast beats to megaFM? and if you had to choose, which one would you choose? :D
Thanks! In short, I reach for Mega FM for playing keyboard. Blast Beats for minimalistic on-device chip arrangements and performance.
@@truecuckoo ahh ok yes i see, makes good sense. thank you so much. can you play blast beats via keyboard midi or is polyphony too limited?
@@djcuvcuv you can play the different channels with each MIDI channel. But polyphony is very specific per channel. 2 poly on the last two channels I think? Monophonic on the other channels. And some of the drum channels share operators.
@@truecuckoo ahh ok i see, thanks so much, that makes sense.
release plz
i like u make me buy
Would you say it's imperative to have another sequencer(ks37 in your case) to get this machine to shine or is it capable of that by itself? I've got a bspro and use it nicely with my drum machines but am really interested to see what the blast beats offers melodically. Reckon I'd need a key based sequencer for that?
Cheers, love the vids
I’d say if you’re not using the built in sequencer you’re losing 50% of the magic.
A lot of these cool glitchy sounds he’s getting out of it are dependent on sequencer tricks/p-locks..
@@tysoncarlson6778 so just use it as a stand alone with its own sequencer is what you're saying?
Did you ever make the tutorial you mentioned at the end of this vid?
It's on my todo list! There is now a brand new, rewritten firmware. I'll get to it!
What's up with the price? It looks really well built, but it only costs around 500€.
It's a small, streamlined company that doesn't have a lot of costs to cover. Plus (I'm thinking out loud here) the OPL3 component, as I understand it, is leftovers from the prime time when this was produced in the 90's. Due to the immense popularity back then, much due to the success of the SoundBlaster, they were produced in high quantities, and are not that expensive to get by now. And there's no snazzy OLED UI, or advanced CPU reverb etc. It's very bare bones, saving a lot of money.
@@truecuckooAll your points sound reasonable 👍
Their preorder is "out of stock"?
Maybe time to rename the channel to FM Cuckoo? 😂
Hey man cool video. What mixer are you using in this video? Does it connect to a computer for recording? Thanks.
I’m using the TX-6. It is a mixer and a multi track audio interface for the computer. teenage.engineering/store/tx-6?affiliate=cuckoo
@truecuckoo thanks. If I get one I'll be sure to use your link. Looking forward to the next interesting piece of gear you share with us
"blast beats" have a different meaning in the metal community hah
Haha yeah I didn’t think about it until people started commenting about it. In this case it’s a reference to the old sound card Soundblaster from the 90’s which had this sick synth chip in it.
seems like it's a synth made for special you, sir. and you made it sold out so quickly 😅
Hot fire cuckoo!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✨🔥 thanks!
Always wanted one but a lot of people say it's buggy, is it true?
I have reported the issues that I've found during my time with it. The developer is working down my list of issues, and a firmware is forthcoming. I'll continue with my Tutorial once the new firmware is done! The most important when finding bugs is to contribute by filing detailed bug reports on how to recreate the issues, to the developers, so that they can squash the bugs in a firmware update.
“Why do I love Blast Beats so much?” Because it’s better sales pitch compared to, “great synth but you don’t really need it if you already have 7 or 8 pieces of gear?
Ocular migraine effect incoming at 10:03
facts
Because it's one of the heaviest drum synths around and you're planning to switch genres over to making industrial noise metal?
I'm kidding. Real talk it's a great sounding machine and I gotta fight myself to not buy one every time I see it ❤
Haha, thanks 🤗 It's a really special one!
How are you gonna make a vid on a product that is basically unobtainable
Twisted Electrons is a very small company making small runs of niche instruments. I just happen to love these niche products :D Sign up on their email list to get notified when new stock arrives. They sometimes take preorders too.
Just never in stock
It’s a small company doing small batches. Right now they opened up for preorders for their next batch to be delivered in April!
@@truecuckoo how does it stack up compared to Sonicware Mega synthesis I know the blast has true chips but just curious 🧐 cause ya used both and I got a mega on the way
@@SonicVibe the Mega, I’d say, is a bit more organised and dependable. They’re a bigger team and worked on their system and sequencer for many years in many machines.
But the wonkyness of the BlastBeats, and direct access to all parameters, which can be recorded into the sequencer, is a big factor in how deliberating it feels, and crazy you can go. And there’s a certain vibe with the real hardware chip that is hard to touch with emulation. Mega sounds good, but not as whacky as a real chip. They’re not the same chips though. But similarities in sound.
The Mega can’t sequence deep sound engine parameter locks. It can do top level parameter locks, and preset switching per step, for a more organised way of sequencing. And it has more flexible polyphony.
@@truecuckoo thank you 🙏 for the detailed answer I appreciated your input
Sold out for months. ;-(
Yeah, sign up and let them know you're interested. Based on interaction they will make a better estimate on how many to build the next batch. It's a small company.
Oh, preordering is available now. Shipping in April.
Wiggle