Can a Modern Synth Inspire New Ideas?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2021
- I was offered a loan of a Super 6 from UDO Audio, which I jumped at.
As its features and functions have been covered brilliantly on other TH-cam channels, I thought instead that I'd pose a question: Can a modern synth inspire new ideas?
In the video I try to explore that using some of what the Super 6 has to offer.
UDO:
www.udo-audio.com/
Social:
/ alexballmusic
/ alexballmusic
My Music:
alexball.bandcamp.com/ - เพลง
Hi, I'm from the planet Guandalar Nimbox and this song has already hit number one on our listening nodes. In fact, it's the only song allowed, by law, to be played on our planet. We will be sending you your royalty check of 20,000 Raindars when the single song solstice has ended. Our currency is not like your earth currency. One Raindar is equal to one spank on your bottom. As we say on Guandalar Nimbox, "May you die wealthy with a very sore bottom". TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.
😂
Comment gold.
Well you beat me to it. I was going call it Alien Space Disco.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Go home, ya dirty Nimby
"Encourage serendipity" is a great attitude for a synthesist to have. We don't make sounds. We find sounds.
Yes, I agree. Give yourself the opportunity to discover something.
When I was 18, I realised that when I always thought that other people's better gear sounded better, which in turn made me more disappointed with all the gear I already had, it wasn't really about the gear, but the ability of my peers and friends that made me stand in awe of their sound. You are no different. Whatever synth you demo, I always enjoy the sound immensely, not because of the gear, but because of your unique ability.
Thank you Arvid, much appreciated.
Yes, Alex does an amazing job of getting musicality out of whatever he's working with. That's something that a lot of people struggle with. Granted, these are edited TH-cam videos, but he makes it look SO easy!
Yeah, there is some truth to this statement.
Hell yeah, this homie is brilliant, I usually think people suck, Alex rules
I believe Mr Van Shlanger has said "I lichke the shupershix movie with lots of knobshs twiddling"
I lovesch a bit of binaural.
Shmoke and Pancakesh
Sean Connery has entered the chat. 😆
"Is the UDO Super 6 really as good as people say it is?"
"Lets find out and see how the synth performs in this: One Man Groovy Digital No Holds Barred Polyrhythmic Bleep Bloop Stank Face Infused Synthpop Jam."
"Verdict: Yes."
It ticks all the boxes !
I read this in Florian's voice.
Shows how good his branding is. :)
@@AlexBallMusic I was just about to comment on his comment, "Thanks, Florian!" 🤣
You guys should do another collab!
i'm sincerely happy that florian is a name
Watching you take these jarringly abstract sounds and somehow make them not only musical, but catchy and even danceable (well, for someone coordinated enough to dance in 9/8 anyway), is absolutely mindblowing. That is some Aphex Twin level music sorcery!
No experimental track is complete without a cowbell. I love how the 80’s vibe kicked in with the vocals. Well done!
🐄🔔
I’m a simple man, I see an Alex Ball video, I click.
"Putting the LFO in high frequency mode" - isn't that just cancelling it out and telling it to FO?
Haha. Yes!
Wow, tough crowd. People really need to try the synth themselves, it's quite exceptional. It does exactly what it looks like is should do from the design, and then takes it much further.
Alex's musicality never fails to shine and evoke joy and envy in equal measure. Kudos for trying something different mate!
Thanks Vincent. By the looks of the comments, most are positive and I appreciate the honest replies that are not. This was an experiment after all.
It's like a modern day Jupiter 6 yet sounds like a modular synth as well.
Yeah, a lot of ideas and a few nods to some classics.
I love your technique of showing us your thoughts and process of creating. The tune is quirky yet catchy. I always enjoy your creative yet technical videos Alex! Rock on!
this synth is so cool, wish i had the bones for it. you showed some really interesting applications here. your song sounds like an IDM artist tried to make an 80's dance hit.
Cheers Will
When you started to sing it started to swing 🤩 had to replay that a few times, very cool!!
Swing or sing?
Yeah, I thought it was just interesting in an experimental kinda way until the vocals came in, then it congealed into something more awesome.
@@AlexBallMusic both I’ll say, that part brought me back to the 80’ ties funky disco dance music. Could listen to that all day😀😀. Hit material for sure!
I cannot tell you how excited I was to see this video's thumbnail. From the first moment I heard a demo of the Super 6 put out just one of those incredible swells I knew this was going to be a huge synth. I personally find the quality and moreover the character of this synth utterly incredible. Then to see how entirely different and wild of a direction you took with it just further speaks to the brilliance and incredible flexibility of it.
Bravo sir!
Thank you! Yes, I'd been dying to try one.
This is a pretty darn cool synth imo, great video as usual man! It has a lot of uniqueness imo and does a lot of bread and butter sounds well too
Thanks Audrey!
It sounds great, seems very well-outfitted with options, and my goodness, the absolute Juno-ness of the knobs, switches, and sliders! Beautiful.
Wow... that was a pretty deep dive into some of the features of this synth - and, as you say, away from the obvious. Very interesting demo, totally different from most of the other Super 6 demos I've seen.
Thank you Bill, much appreciated.
Original and amazing! I knew you would make something special.. you always do!
Really cool, Alex! I'm a sucker for chords and rhythms outside the box, especially time signatures in odd numbers. You wrote an excellent "Lebowski rug" vocal line at the end (it really ties the room together). Well done.
"Lebowski rug" - I'm stealing that!
Yet another fantastic demo of a new instrument coupled with your amazing ability to put new tools through the ringer and make awesome music. Was sort of expecting more brocoder though, but this was top notch! Thank you for the inspiration!!!
Thanks, glad it was interesting.
Nice work Alex! The Super 6 sounds great in your hands, its actually a lot deeper than it looks at first glance. Its a really magical hybrid synth and the audio fidelity is stunning. Can't wait for the next OS update to see what else they unlock.
Cheers! Yes, quick and easy if you want, but also some button pressed and knob twists later and you're somewhere totally new.
enjoyed seeing the synthesis being pulled in different directions and agree with the other voices saying the vocals sprinkled some kind of magic glue over the whole thing. Just brilliant!
FANTASTIC video as always! Creativity abounds!
Cheers!
Alex!! I was eagerly awaiting this video when I spotted it in the background of another video yet somehow this video’s release passed me by! How!
This review has definitely confirmed my suspicions from more directionless exploration videos that the Super 6 really is a modern classic, and so much more than a modern reissue of an 80s synth, despite being inspired by the one-knob-per-function UX.
Definitely need to get my hands on one… I love that you showed the MIDI too, a lot of the forum threads I’ve read about this just complained it was half baked or only talked about using it as a MIDI controller. I love to see this degree of control in computer sequencing and automation too!
It really seems like this can be a great centrepiece of a DAW setup as well as a wonderful standalone synthesiser.
You probably won’t see a comment on a two month old video, but my gosh, you’ve really cemented by lust for this beauty.
Amazing production! Didn’t expect the vocals at the end but it really did it for me!!
Thanks. Often throw in a little chorus of vocals at the end as a send off.
Oh dear, thats the rhythm of life for sure. 9 is even better than 7. Well done.
9 is the new 7.
Great video, love the final song as well !
Thanks Max
Man, you made a banger. It sounds and reminds me of something I would hear on a Japanese 80's Manga film, the golden era. When you went through the CC midi track in Cubase, it was like cutouts of a city and landscapes, and sounded like it too. I love experimental music. I really enjoyed this video. 👍
Thanks Lance! Glad you enjoyed the off piste adventure!
This was outstanding. Great work, Alex!
If they make a five octave version of this, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist.
This synth feels like an evolution of the classic Roland synths of the 80s. It’s like UDO are doing what Roland SHOULD have done.
Thanks Peter. It actually works nicely with four octaves and I usually get annoyed by that.
That was great!
I’m paining for the delivery of
my shiny new Super Gemini
and needed a quick fix.
So thanks for hooking me up😉
@ 5:38
That one really blew my mind.
Finally a proper guitar synth…
...and bass synth, without latency!!!
…and I will have two!
𝄆😎😎😎😎𝄇
Another nice pop song. Honestly, I'm note sure I know anyone that is quite as good at writing happy energizing songs as you.
The groove you created with this was awesome!!!
Cheers!
On it's own, to me it sounded somewhat: meh. But when you started singing on top of it, it somehow gelled... Crazy!
Thanks for the opinion Gert.
I got that too. Sounds like it cuts great in a mix.
Can a modern synth inspire new ideas? Hydrasynth definitely inspires me. It is hands down the most entertaining and musical synthesizer in my collection. Polyphonic aftertouch is a game changer.
Hydrasynth has polyphonic aftertouch?
@@lundswedenyes it has.
The UDO 6 can now respond to MPE for poly aftertouch. There is a desktop module version that could compliment a keyboard with poly aftertouch such as the NI Komplete Kontrol 3. Could use a synth as the keyboard such as the Hydrasynth or Waldorf Iridium Keyboard.
All good. I have a Hydrasynth, Iridium Keyboard and UDO 6 desktop.
@@mrfuzztonehow do you love the combo of the iridium and super 6. I have wet dreams about the blue keyboard version but fear I’m going to regret getting the desktop for MPE. I was thinking about getting the desktop and iridium keyboard or hydrasynth explorer
that was absolutely beautiful
Cheers!
Loved the final song !
I got mine 5 weeks ago (in blue) and the love affair is still going. 😍
Hey Scott. Glad to hear!
Scott, you Wake Up My Life 🤣 Love your music! 🤙🏻
@@project-95 ❤️
Best type of video. Features lists and tutorials etc. are good, but not as important as a video of just making music using the instrument. Watching you vibe out with this thing was a pleasure and also exactly what I do with my rev2… just sit there and vibe out making stuff haha. Great video.
Thanks Tom. Yes, I thought this was a more interesting thing to explore.
Amazing synth, thank you for sharing
Well this is not what I was expecting, quite a bit more musically crazy.
It could do with maybe a bit more cowbell in the mix though.
Yep, I went where it took me having posed the question.
For good or bad I thought it worth poking around.
And yet again, you've got the killer vocal hooks to make this jam very Alex 'Ball(s) To The Wall'.
I’m in love with this synth and have yet to hear a sound from it that I don’t like. Though I have to admit that chord sound came close. It made me laugh because it sounded like Boomer from Batlestar galactica having a cold, but you actually made it work in the song. You’re brilliant at that mr. Ball, as are your videos!
Creative man, well done. Nice synth too btw...
Cheers :)
Wow...brilliantly done!
Thanks
really like the first part of the music actually very good, and the sound of this thing!!! Amazing.
Thanks Bruno.
Would be wrong of me not to start this with a praise, because you're just a wonderful musician. Your music is clearly part of your very being and your level of skill is rock solid. Here comes the "but": It feels to me like you find yourself running in circles, sincerely feeling like you've done all you can do within your- awesome- level of control. But I think you should take a beat, allow yourself to let go a bit and explore more of the vastness within, which you can explore with your powerful talent. In this one it just feels a bit like you're hoping to let a certain randomness break you out of your cage, but instead you just go for absurd "yoga positions" without ever leaving that cage. The synth seems beautiful and you have undeniably beautiful understanding of music. I think, both of you can take it to a totally different level, if you let yourself really go and find a way not to let pressure drive you. Lead the way!
Thank you for the thoughts! I'll have to mull that over.
Dude this is unlike anything I've ever heard, and I've spent my last year watching just about every synth video in TH-cam. I can't believe how good this track is, you actually even made it full proof song with ur beautiful voice xD
No but srsly, this is crazy good, you should rlly put this on Spotify or sth.
Alex, I love you and your musical Genius!
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Thank you, Alex, for such an inspiring video. Your channel continues to dazzle and be a joy.
Most of us will know the heady creative rush of new gear - different sounds, different work flows, happy accidents etc..
But what a great idea to deliberately explore new gear in unfamiliar ways. Not only do you have a different first impression of that kit, but you will establish alternative working patterns with it in the future, and have different expectations when you switch it on.
And although old habits are harder to shift, it's an approach that can be usefully applied to current gear, too.
How do you do ambient aleatoric music on that worn 303, for example? Or, as the great Geert van Schlånger might have said, 'I wonder what happens if I schtick this bit here?'
Thanks Paul. Yes, I was hoping this would be a fruitful exploration even if it just challenged my mindset. The result was less important than that.
303 - funnily enough I had thought of seeing if there was a way to reinvent the 303 in the same way that it was reinvented back in the mid 80s.
Looking forward to that!
Wow! This is beyond inspiring 😵💫🛸🚀
What a banger! Thanks
Wonderful synth just packed full of potential.
Amazing stuff!
Thanks!
Um, did you just create a new genre of music? Because I think you did.
Ballpop
"Get your mind outta the gutter and your hands on a synthemasizer!"
Ballpop it is. ;)
Totally agree, he's got such a great ear for synths. Great imagination :)
I would classify this as Braindance, as it sounds like something that someone in the IDM scene has already come out with, and they probably did it 20 years ago.
Kinda sounds like experimental yugoslavian or soviet music tbh
You certainly created another proof of your undestructable musicality
Thanks very much!
I love this jam! Hope you release this one
Thanks. I'll stick it on Bandcamp.
Such a cool and great sounding synthesizer.
You really pushed a synth to its narrow limits this time, however there was one other who did stuff like this on a weekly basis. From what I'm hearing, you actually got it right!
first time I've head really been able to hear the binaural aspect of this synth, and goddamn, it sounds great.
Yeah, very cool feature.
Super inspiring!! ⭐
awesome synth! great video!
Thanks! In other news I was wearing a Syntaur t shirt today. :)
@@AlexBallMusic much appreciated! thank you
this in the 80s would be an worldwide hit
I'm always anticipating when those tasty lyrics will hit and well, I'm not disappointed, at all.
Hey Alex - What to say? 😀 That's beyond original. Loved it when the vocals came in. You really are brilliant at these demos. I have an UDO - absolutely amazing sound and, as you say, the hands-on controls just keep on surprising! I'm a bit more traditional 🤣 and would never have thought of using it like that. Just amazing. Here's a challenge - use it to produce one of your 'usual' demos 😎
Cheers Ian, much appreciated.
It will be used in some other videos for sure, probably in more typical ways. :)
@@AlexBallMusic 👍
Playing a guitar into a synth happened a bunch in the 70's and your "new" track has a very 80's vibe to it. I really like what you came up with, but it does sound like the past.
Before I got some effects pedals I used my microKORG in vocoder mode with my guitar a lot for effects… heh. So I really loved when he plugged guitar into this! Guitar pedals with synths on the output, and synths as pedals for guitars on the input, always go well together :)
You can be as bold with your trinkets as you like, as long as your jam is FUNKY.
That was awesome. Vocals and bass tied it together.
I love this synth. Could be a Christmas present this year
Have you been good enough for Santa to deliver?
@@AlexBallMusic hahahahaha
I ADORE this synth. I yearn for it to be mine. It’s glorious and sounds absolutely incredible. I haven’t even watched the video yet, but yes! Yes it can!!! It’s wonderful!!! 😂
Haha. You sound smitten. :)
I know exactly how you feel Jon! I’ve been following this synth since it made the trade show rounds a few years ago.
I’ve only bought £300-500 synths before, so I’ve never even contemplated a ~£2000 unit. But my gosh is the Super 6 tempting. The keybed is no joke either, the manufacturer’s standalone MIDI controllers with similar specs are £800-1000 by themselves.
If I only ever bought one premium synth, I really do feel it could be this one, it grabs me much more than the competitors.
I’m trying to assess the viability of having this at the centre of my other softsynths and synth modules, connected various ways by MIDI. In addition to just recording the output of the Super 6 directly or running it through effects pedals of course.
Eg I imagine my mini-synths, which require menu diving by themselves, could with the right MIDI parameter assignment also work very well with this acting as their controller. I’ve not been interested in buying a MIDI slider board to supplement their existing mini keyboards, but playing them on full size keys with all these knobs could be game-changing.
And of course that’s on top of really loving the Super 6’s sound! In fact it might actually eclipse a couple of my minis, such as the microKORG which is emulating a lot of what the Super 6 does in hardware… but these are just things I’m thinking about, assuming that my minis would still have their unique elements too. Certainly the reface DX or other FM modules could go amazingly, if I can tweak parameters and switch algorithms from the Super 6 control panel.
I like your music. Absolutely. Thank you for this Udo review. I know you are a vintage guy, but it's about time to have a look at the Novation Summit ! Guess you will want to keep it !
WOW! Nice eval! Congrats! I'm only a minute in, but I can tell this video is gonna be sweet! That thing already sounds like the Millennium Falcon hyperdrive crapping out. Cheers Alex! Happy weekend :)
Update: I love it! It looks like UDO have a winner here. And I love that new track too 👍
Millennium Falcon - haha I can hear that now.
This video is good. Good job on this video.
Haha, I do the same automation stuff with random parameters in EFM1 (Logic Pro) to get wooshes and wobbles because I'll never understand FM synthesis, but I like the sound, and I'm glad you've let us DAW-dabblers not feel like shit for doing it like that!
Also, no Niko ads anywhere in sight on your videos. My warezbox is safe from being thrown across the room for another day!
"If in doubt, wobble it about."
Dave Smith, inventor of Midi.
@@AlexBallMusic I love a good wobble.
Great review. My alien friends and I grooved to your tunes. 👽
Greetings from Earth.
great composing ideas!
Thank you
Udo Super 6 sounds great! 👌
I think so!
Cool vibes again! My brain screams that this should be 7/8.
9 is the new 7.
Love the prog angle here!
Awesome track!!😍😍
Thanks
Id probably chop the final note & loop or something in that realm. Definitely looks fun.
You are amazingly creative.
Thanks
It certainly sounds like more than one synth, that's for sure, which I guess is in part due to the strange nature of the sound pallet and your approach, but the fact the synth allowed you to wander down that path, and with seemingly relative ease, netting some pretty cool results is a testament to the synth and shows the potential that could come from being locked away in a small room with it for an extended period of time.
It seems to have the classic weight and scope of a Moog, the quirky esoteric manipulation of a Jupiter 6 and the build quality and intuitive functionality of a Virus or Nord Lead.
A definite future classic in my book, so I think I'll have to sniff one out for a fiddle.
As for your compositoin Alex, I could think of far worse bits of music to listen to on repeat during the flight to Mars, so kudos for experimenting and giving me a few ideas for some unconventional sound designing. 👌🏼
Oh man, this track at the end, heck yes
Awesome patches, the song reminds me of the old Sonic soundtracks
As a child of the Master System (the original, not the II, I might add), Sonic is always in my subconscious.
Great demo and composition Alex, sounds a little like the band New Muzik, always loved their creative use of new technology and production techniques 👍
Great sonic creation Alex! Some of the early parts of of the composition reminded me of the rhythmic feel of the Yello song 'Oh Yeah'
Just needed a pitched down vocal? ;)
@@AlexBallMusic Oh Yeah Doh Doh ;-)
Wow super amazing 💯💯💯
Foot was entertained and watched till the end. Creative music design but even better video presentation.
So nice of you to talus.
oh man ! I love your musical ideas !! 4:14 track is soooooo Sakamoto !!!
Hey Mr. Ball. Speaking of old synths. Have you ever gotten a chance to play with a Rheem Kee Bass? I found a great free plugin, and I love the sound of that bass string synth...
Also: When the vocals kicked in on your song in this video it really made it all come together. Very cool!
Hello! I've not seen Rheem Key Bass, I'll have to look that up.
Vocals - thanks!
@@AlexBallMusic I don't know if you do DAWs, but here is a link for the free VSTI if you do. There is just something about that bass I love. You might hate it, but that is ok.
www.martinic.com/en/products/kee-bass
I think it is a very rare 60s string synth so you might not see it too often...
dr. mix? i do have this plugin and use it quite a bit, however i also have a behringer poly d and just using a single osc. saw wave with a closed filter sounds spot on the same. as for the bass boost, i use waves maxxbass to shift the low end lower.
@@c4li it could be. I know that there was a youtuber that recommend this plugin. I don't have a polyd so i don't know if that works. I personally i felt that it was so much heft to the bass in this plugin that i just love it. There are probably other ways to get the same result. I don't know.
This is this most incredible synth journey I've ever been taken on. I feel deeply encouraged. Thanks man🙏🏾🙌🏾
This is AWESOME! It's like the blurred memory of an electro boogie soundtrack cut for an 80s movie that only exists in our brains.
We should make that movie. ;)
Thomas Dolby 2.0! Sounds to me like you've squeezed the best out of it. Respect as always!
Thanks Sean
Great videos, thanks ! For this last part of your video, I find the rhythmical pattern rather muddy and little over the top in term of sound, not my cuppa. What you did with the Polybrute was really awesome, it will probably motivate the choice of my next heavy in-house synth. Thanks again for your great videos !
Loved it.
I really enjoyed the creative sound design and musicality in this one! The most controversial element seems to be the first rhythmic patch judging by the comments. In my opinion, I think it works really well. Though maybe at the start of the track when it’s just that and the drum loop, it feels just slightly too “off”. When the chord stabs and the rest of the elements come in though I think it’s really well supported and sounds great. Maybe the chords stabs could even side chain compress it to force it more into time.
Inspiring work though! Thanks.
Ho Devon. Yes, that's the dividing factor for sure, doing something we've not done before is going to sound unexpected or unusual at first.
Just in love with the first pad sound =) Something like I made with the JP8000.
That is a great looking synth
Not enough of the tuba preset, IMO. (I jest, of course)
Excellent as always, Mr. Ball. Only has solidified my Super-6 lust.
Too bad it's hard to get a hold of in the USA at the moment.
Is "more tuba" the new "more cowbell"?
This video is invaluable, because it kind of gives permission to be unconventional.
I have zero inspiration at the moment, even though I have a new BARP 2600 sitting here rubbing it's hands going.."So what are we doing today?"
Watching you do that crazy arsed track, with every aspect, COMPLETELY outside convention, and sticking a hearty two finger salute to 'mainstream', is like opening the 'crazy shit' file in my head, and saying..."run free...do your thing"
Bloody marvellous video!
Ah thanks. I'm glad it came across that way and that's it's inspired you to do the same!