Depeche Mode Drums

[@AlexBallMusic]

SAMPLE PACK: alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/product/beat-and-spell/ A note. So...it transpires that whilst this was the setup for Speak and Spell, the sequencer was the ARP 1601. The MC-4 came in on the second album. The information is otherwise correct and it doesn't affect the sounds, just the means of sequencing from one album to the next. I'm human, I make mistakes. Apologies to die-hard Depeche Mode fans. I shall do 3 Hail-Millers and a Hallelu-Gore in repentance.

[@MattCulpin]

Don't you just bloody hate those die-hard Depeche fans!

[@zuur303]

I will unzip the just acquired pack with palpable pedantic disgust! 🧐

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@zuur303 😂

[@AMPProf]

Balalaika???

[@gionspenzers]

I was about to comment on why you didn't use the ARP sequencer you used in the outro jam in sequencing the kick drum. All sequence in S&S are done on the ARP (some parts are done by hand!). Funny thing is, one of the reason why Vince left Depeche is because he acquired a MC-4, so why be in a band with the other members doing the parts when you could have a MC-4 do it for you lol.

[@alfish18]

I _just can't get enough_ of this video.

[@sebastien5597]

😂

[@RockLobster223]

I turned the volume down just to enjoy the silence. (Sorry!!)

[@РэйЧехов]

Imagine you have all these drum machines... In your room

[@roy.jacobs]

I thought we wouldn't get these horrible puns, but I guess people are people.

[@andlinux]

@@RockLobster223 That's so Wrong 😉

[@neilbowles1756]

I'm not sure if others have already mentioned, but your video gets a shout-out by Daniel Miller and Vince Clarke discussing the early DM days during an interview promoting Vince Clarke's current solo album!

[@neilbowles1756]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKmcp4GcrK6ArZYsi=eKlDsRzsW-Gnwvoq

[@OriginalRaveParty]

I honestly never knew just how inventive early electronica acts had to be to pioneer the drum sounds we all take for granted nowadays. Awesome 😎

[@hughman8597]

That's exactly what's great about synthesizers! You don't just listen to thousands of kick sounds from your library and then aren't satisfied at the end, you sit down and create your own sound and learn to master your devices. It's more exciting, isn't it?

[@jimbotron70]

​@@hughman8597Or you heavily modify the available presets.

[@docmcfly3933]

Speak and Spell was released in 1981. This kick sounds like a 909 kick. The TR-909 was released in 1983. So, Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode invented the 909 kick before Roland did. That's insane.

[@ncapone87]

Kraftwerk did

[@ArtFluids]

I think Daniel Miller took the idea from The Human League. They have a similar synthesized kick drum on songs like Empire State Human in 1979.

[@linuswang6572]

Doesn’t sound very 909-like to me.

[@docmcfly3933]

It's definitely more like a 909 rather than an 808, cr78 or korg minipops. It's got the same thud.​@@linuswang6572

[@tailnotale]

I've got a Korg Rhythm 55. My dad bought it new and paid out the wazoo for it just to use it as a timekeeper to cut tracks, then he would replace the 55 with real drums. When he got something better, he gave it to me as a toy when I was about 7 or 8, and I've had it ever since. He also gave me my Casio CZ-101 around the same time. Those two "toys" fueled all my childhood "jams" and early "multi-track" recordings I made layering and bouncing two boomboxes back and forth.😁 I'm so glad I held onto both units because I now know how cool they really were/are, and even with all the amazing gear I now have in my studio, I still use them quite often. Now I just wish I had the hundreds of boombox bounce records I made from 8to13years old.! I'm sure there's some gold in those. ♥️💛💚

[@TayWoode]

Apparently that was the original idea of them like the tr808/909 they were supposed to be practice tools for bands when the drummer wasn’t available or for him to practice on, then hip hop and dance started using them in recordings

[@tdaonp]

And as a fellow late seventies, early eighties youngun, I learned so much from that tinkering with cassette recorders, music 'toys' and other stuff that we could afford or found on the side of the street. Later on when I worked as a sound engineer/producer in a decked-out studio I still used some of the tricks discovered in my youth. The young bands I worked with, who grew up with computers, often were amazed what you could do with cheap, toy-like analog gadgets. Good times!

[@tailnotale]

@tdaonp Yes!!! This comment is everything and absolutely made my night. Glad to know I'm not the only dorky kid doing these things. I'm extra excited that the next generation gets off on it and isn't just a bunch of pretentious music snobs that think everything great comes easy or is just in the box

[@mattalki]

Vince Clarke said that during the Speak and Spell days, Daniel Miller would spend hours on the ARP 2600 tweaking the sounds, and it would drive them all completely mad. It probably took him awhile to dial it in the way he liked it.

[@Stevie_B_0828]

This video came up completely at random on my YT feed, and I couldn't be more delighted to receive this video as a recommendation. This video was such a thrill for me, I'm a Depeche Mode super-fan, and to see what it takes to create their "sound" was equivalent of getting the golden ticket and touring the chocolate factory. Ppl always put synth-sound music down calling the music lazy for using electronic devices to make their music, but as you see here, there's a real science to this genre, it's a skill, not just a matter of pressing a single button and presto, you've got a new track. Thank you for sharing your love, enthusiasm, knowledge, and sound engineering prowess with us, my friend. I sincerely look forward to exploring more of your content here on YT. I was in my early teens when I 1st heard bands like D/M and I'm grateful for this kinda music shaping my formative years, I just turned 51yo and "seeing how the sausage was made", if you will, gives me even more admiration for this style of music. And, you gave us a very clean glimpse into the process, you didn't use a bunch of high tech terms or over explain everything, like some channels do. I felt like a welcomed guest taking a private tutorial on sound engineering and presenting it in a friendly and informative manner. Sorry I ramble, I has so much I wanted to convey to the channel creator, and I have so much more I'd love to say, but I'll leave this comment as it is and maybe others will take the time to read this post, and maybe they're experiencing the same excitement and sheer joy of seeing how some of the greatest music was created. Awesome channel, awesome video, and an awesome host. 😉👍💙

[@AlexBallMusic]

Hi Stevie. Thanks for taking the time to write that, it was a pleasure to read. I'm really chuffed that it all made sense and revealed a little bit about a band you grew up with.

[@crazyspeedyjoe]

same happened to me!

[@melodymaker1979]

Same here. Great video and great comment. YT finally recommended something worthwhile and relevant to me (probably because I've been recently looking up synth hardware tutorials 😉).

[@chrisbolton5461]

A great comment capturing what went on.

[@jpm9628]

Daniel Miller is a genius. Examining his methods is a worthy endeavor. Cheers.

[@McNessie101]

Incredible how difficult it was in the old days! Kids these days don’t know how lucky they are!!

[@olexp9017]

Are they lucky though? The old days required a lot of creativity. The copy/paste was practically none.

[@blueberrimuffin6682]

​@olexp9017 Yes. Production is more advanced, synthesis is more open for everyone, and you can focus more on the actually important aspects of songwriting in production rather than "ok how the fuck am I gonna get this one kick I want"

[@olexp9017]

@@blueberrimuffin6682 Well, there is more and more rubbish these days which is result of "synthesis is more open for everyone" 😀

[@blueberrimuffin6682]

@olexp9017 Oh no, more artists making music means there is more bad music... okay? That's fundamentally the issue with making art more accessible. More lower quality stuff gets released, so what? There'll always be people making good art, and more of them the more easy it is to access the tools necessary. With better tools, even more creativity is an option. Try making the squelches of Patricia Taxxon or any brostep growls in the 80s, see how far you get. Hell, even just try making basic complextro in the 80s with uber-expensive synths and samplers.

[@plane_guy6051]

It was very difficult to do many things back then, but I don't think that means you make better music by everything being a huge pita. What really matters is that you KNOW the sounds you want and it's just way easier to get it now, which in theory means you should be able to be creative, providing you're musical. But I am quite mortified that things are so easy to do now, but people seem to write mostly crap.

[@soulsway]

It's so cool this album is being analysed and seen as so significant. It's also a great lesson in mixing, reverbs, songwriting, programming - not to mention the power of independent spirit. Thanks for this fascinating insight into DM's & Miller's production - I could listen to KR-55's hats all day long!!

[@JohnLloydDavis]

Your outro jam has a bit of a Yellow Magic Orchestra vibe about it. Awesome :)

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Anything with a YMO vibe gets my vote!

[@pawnotdaw4559]

Was gonna say same

[@Meteotrance]

Totaly nail that band sound.

[@newdykung6775]

Yeah I can feel the melody vibe from their debut album and sound production from BGM album mix together

[@akiatoji5088]

I kept thinking "The outro sounds like something from the very first YMO album" Then I scroll down and see there are others with the same refined taste

[@daviHuggMonster]

can't go more retro bliss than Alex Ball. Love this

[@leopoldbluesky]

Another excellent video from Alex, who was obviously getting very excited at 4:51

[@AlexBallMusic]

💦

[@falazarte]

Fantastic video. Love how musicians and nerds mixed in the same brain can come up with these things.

[@i_never_asked_for_an_alias]

Love the nerdy stuff, specially when its combined with such clear communication and historical background.

[@CaslavGlov]

Thanks for the video and tutorial. It looks so simple, but when you imagine how many hours they've spent at studio when they invent it... DM is my favorite band since my 15. And all of this sounds touch different parts of soul so deeply.

[@baward]

Dan Miller would be proud, very well done that man! At the risk of name-dropping, when we had D Mode in at our studio for the album 'Some Great Reward' in 1984, Daniel would sometimes send everyone out of the control room (even Gareth Jones) while he spent hour upon hour, in his solitary element, programming and refining a patch (yes, usually kick drum) on the Arp 2600. He was by real whiz in the Arp.

[@Andy-kd1kb]

Lovely to hear your insight.. which studio were you in?

[@baward]

@@Andy-kd1kb Music Works. They only came to our (not great) studio because their first choice (The Garden) was unavailable.

[@WAZA___]

​@@bawardNo you wasn't...grow up.

[@decibel.sintetico]

​@@Andy-kd1kbHansa Studio Berlin

[@SteveDave29]

That isn't name dropping, that is just history.

[@TrpleP]

Wow, what a great video and insight as to how DM put together their sounds. I just saw them two weeks ago at the United Center in Chicago and they sounded fantastic! Saw them twice this year and 4 times in my lifetime. I took my 10 year old daughter this last time and felt like I was passing the torch over to her. She knew most of the songs and made papa very proud. Subscribed!

[@BrianTylerComposer]

Its insane how far ahead the 2600 was. And is.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Timeless paradigm.

[@fakshen1973]

It's basically the quintessential semi-modular monosynth. It's great that it's been cloned so that kids can get a taste of it.

[@Andy-kd1kb]

Daniel got it from Elton John, because he didn't know what to do with it.. Elton John, how appropriately not the father of synthpop ends up covering It's a Sin!

[@jamesdefrancesco7765]

56 year old kids!

[@Vingul]

@@fakshen1973 But the synthfluencer youtube content creators with 200,000 dollar studios and larger reverb VST budgets than I have a food budget hate that we can buy affordable clones ;(

[@MarcAndreBelleau]

I'm just there looking at the amount of nerdiness to get to tune the ARP 2600 and comparing the wave from the album to yours to confirm and wow. Yes please!

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

We all sort of take how sounds are made for granted these days. There's an incredible amount of work, and science involved. This was great fun to watch 🙌

[@e8root]

Love the idea of reproducing sounds from old tracks on original hardware. Subscribed

[@oscillationcommunications709]

Yeah! Super influential drums. I always heard a Fad Gadget vibe on Speak & Spell,and I guess he influenced a lot of Mute stuff too.⚡️

[@PreJeMe]

Just listen to Yazoo's first album, Upstairs at Eric's. Daniel Miller's bassdrum is all over the place.

[@staceconstantinou9170]

Another brilliant video. One of the many excellent things about Alex Ball's videos is that he show his research references, in this case primary source data from Keyboard Magazine. Thanks Alex!

[@FixerUK]

Thanks very much for this. I think it was only last week that I made a comment requesting some DM coverage. 😎👍

[@SteveOuimette]

What an incredible display of ingenuity! I love these videos and the way you make them so fun to learn about the programming and sounds. Brilliant, Alex. Brilliant! I'm proper chuffed with this one.

[@bhotsnax]

I don't don't speak synthesizer, but I love these videos!

[@michaeloconnor7849]

Mind boggling, utterly mind boggling. Thanks for an amazing look behind the curtain.

[@croenengler7931]

I believe Daniel Miller used the same setup for Soft Cell’s “Memorabilia”.

[@jeshkam]

That's why I absolutely love Sunroof, because both Daniel and Gareth know any piece of gear they own inside out. Cheers, Alex!

[@Andy-kd1kb]

Coming to the London gig? It's going to be awesome.

[@jeshkam]

@@Andy-kd1kb No, unfortunately I'm from continental Europe. Have fun! 🙂

[@R3R3T]

Got me at "mines is modded with midi" 😂 Yes to more jingles in the episodes♥️🎶

[@AlexBallMusic]

I plan to add more jingles until it's all jingles.

[@douglasb.5601]

​@@AlexBallMusic Well it's coming up to Christmas...when you can jingle all the way! 😂👍🏻

[@ianpritchard6375]

In the Nerd Olympics -- you win the Gold medal every time. Outstanding!

[@neveser]

I have an original vinyl copy of Speak and Spell as well. It's the copy I bought in about 1982 with my allowance money. :) Cool video. Man, I used to drool over those toys back in the day. It's amazing what tech has done with music (good and bad).

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I always loved the drums on their first 2 albums "Sprechen & Buchstabieren" x3 and "A Broken Frame". Their early phase was awesome and i really miss that hard electronic drum sound but i'm glad they had gotten back to it again in recent years.

[@LerxstLand]

Nothing to fear has some of the best electronic drum sounds I’ve heard

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@LerxstLand The tom toms in it really are a good speaker test x3 if they sound okay, everything else does.

[@everpuremusic]

OMG. Now I finally know how they did all those super organically sounding fills. And yes, that kick drum... well, kicks!

[@Kkidzz]

Still obsessed with the 'Just Can't Get Enough' B-Side 'Shout' .....that Random Square S&H LFO on the 2600 creating that amazing percussive sequence....still NOW sounds forty years ahead of it's time.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I've not checked that song out, I'll have to do that.

[@ringroad]

upvote on this. If you've not heard it it's worth checking out the audience recording of the intro they (briefly) used for gigs in Summer 1981 - it's a slowed-down version of parts of Shout, all the really good percussive bits, just a shame the best recording is a bit rough.

[@Andy-kd1kb]

Spot on! I often drop it into DM DJ sets.. everyone gets it

[@t3hjnz]

Thank you for this, and in fact, for everything you do. My day is always better when one of your videos pops up in my feed.

[@harbottle8580]

The song i hear the most out of this is the one that wasn't on Speak & Spell. Their first single 'Dreaming of me'.

[@hanselmansell7555]

Jeeezus wept.. this is the most beautifuly nerdy nerd off about the nerdiest band that ever smashed the charts.. thank you and god bless KZbin 👍

[@HalonOfficial]

Very punchy drum machine, i love it!

[@darrencastleton5994]

Hi Alex, your video here solves a 40 year old mystery for me - back in very early 1981, I was fortunate enough to see Depeche Mode live many times before, during and just after they signed their record deal. You probably already know this but they always started their set with a big portable cassette player plugged into the sound system, with LED L/R sound indicators that would pulse in time to the kick/snare sounds when Dave (always Dave) would press play. This was their drum machine of sorts and at the time the rumour was that the band couldn’t afford to buy a drum machine . . . So now I know. A couple of years later I was round the house of a guy in Basildon who grew up opposite Vince Clarke and had been on one of the early bands with Vince pre-DM, going on to form his own band called Audio Logic. This guy’s music was so much like early DM and I came away from that night with a D90 tape full of his compositions and his broken Roland tr-606 that I would later fix and use to start my own musical journey. Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your video. Fascinating! Thank you.

[@alexandermccarthy]

The look on your face when introducing the MC8! GENIUS!

[@BrassicGamer]

Every time I watch one of your videos like this I am equal parts confused and impressed.

[@AlexBallMusic]

So am I.

[@serratusx]

I honestly don’t know how they had the patience to go to so much trouble just to create a single sound. Thank goodness people like me can do it all in the box these days, but kudos to everyone still doing it the old school way

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, they really worked for every detail!

[@OliFreke]

Great video as ever Alex! I do love that KR-55 snare drum, so juicy, and so evocative of that 80s era Depeche Mode.

[@BT_Byrd]

My dude, you make some of the best synth content I've ever seen and I just love it all so much. Thank you!

[@benharris5210]

Im mainly a guitar player tbh. But got into synths via Steven Wilson, Depeche Mode and a few prog bands. I've been getting into drum machines and sequencers a bit more recently and have struggled to find really good tutorials and demonstration videos. I have to say after watching your temporary secretary vid and now this you truly are doing gods work, really helpful and fun to watch... I just can't get enough!.

[@benanderson89]

That kick is THICK. Love it. I've never really bothered synthesizing my own kicks (apart from one, done on a CZ-1) and I really should since it seems like a lot of fun.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Always fun to synthesize your own drums, definitely. Still never played a Casio CZ-1.

[@markpeters284]

@@AlexBallMusicI’m sure one of us synth nerds out here will now send you a CZ1 to have a play on. 😀

[@tonystevenson26]

@AlexBallMusic I have a Casio Vz 1 . It has the most convoluted O.S. and interface I've ever experienced ! Horrible....capable of some blistering tones, though....My first set up was Sequential Pro one, Korg poly 800, Arp Odyssey and my trusty DR RHYTHM 110,, , the king of all drum machines ! 🤪

[@benanderson89]

@@tonystevenson26 CZ, not VZ, but still. I actually have a VZ and I don't find it that convoluted. Tedious, sure, but it's easy enough to understand. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIqZhnR-l7qso8ksi=yshikQG1AFjkRvIY

[@ShaneMorris1986]

I am impressed with your electrical engineering skills.

[@superserge]

Hello Friend! It was easy and educational. The balalaika on the wall also pleased me :-)

[@rlbf1967]

Very cool!! I have to say too that I’m so glad that semi modular kit is so much more affordable nowadays for exploring music - the joy of patching wires!

[@bobdobalina838]

I didn't hear The name vince clark anywhere here but I imagine he deserves some credit as well.

[@unclemick-synths]

Great video! I'm getting a "Tour De France" vibe from that super snappy kick 👍

[@decibel.sintetico]

Thank you, Alex, for this excellent demonstration of the Speak & Spell drum sounds. And how did Daniel Miller the drum sounds on the album A Broken Frame? I know there's a TR-808 with effects but these drum sounds sound better than anything I've ever heard.

[@PenVerine]

It’s mostly Simmons SDS-V with just some percussion from 808

[@bluedonkeyman]

I had the Some Bizarre album. Loved the version on there

[@andrewdoucet3029]

Thanks for this! Wonderful work. That kick drum on the ARP-my goodness.

[@AlexBallMusic]

SO much punch. Was worth all the fiddling.

[@100DollarHeadache]

Thank you for this video. I use my Eurorack setup as a programmable rhythm section. A pair of System-500 sets, a third case with utilities, and a KeyStep Pro to control it. I was sorely tempted to get a 2600M when Korg were blowing them out on the US outlet shop on Reverb, but slept on it and woke up to see it sold out. I decided to follow the instructions for the kick anyway, using the extra envelope I had lying around as an AR to generate the body of the kick. So much better than the original version of my patch, but I decided to add a dash of noise modulating the self-oscillating filter to give it a more acoustic character. I also added my DR-55 as clock and snare (taking the role the KR-55 did here), as its snare sound is better than anything I could patch up with my system, freeing up a channel.

[@culturedslob]

The midi mod jingle would’ve subscribed me alone had i not already. God bless you Alex Ball

[@AlexBallMusic]

It's the correct way to announce these sorts of things.

[@THR-zf6ti]

Oh wow! The part with the ARP 2600 is gorgious for me - must try that on the weekend! Thanks Alex

[@mi-fu9jt]

i’m here for this kinda video all day long

[@tekknosapien]

Interesting...The Arp kick - these snappy Kraftwerik-ish sounds with resonance and envelopes often reveals how VSTs fail at sounding like it's original analouge counterpart. - try doing that kick on Arturias Arp2600 v3 = you can't

[@ohoganroad]

Great video and finally a tutorial on how to make the famous Daniel Miller kick drum. Many Thanks from me! I think you're spot on with the list of gear they used with the exception of the MC4. They actually used an ARP1601 sequencer on S&S. Vince Clarke started using an MC4 when he made Upstairs at Eric's with Alison and Eric Radcliffe.

[@robertleib3646]

I know this has been said befor but your demo songs are absolutly amazing!

[@luxdico]

that jam at the end is so early 80s, and we just liked that stuff, coz it was so cool.

[@RudyAdrian]

Always a pleasure watching your videos, Alex :)

[@seventeendegree]

Super interesting! "Produce Like A Pro" analysed Enjoy the Silence and the synth parts are mindblowing. I've never heard synths that sound so organic. Especially the part with the E-MU Systems Emulator II (13:20 in his video).

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers! I'll check that out.

[@leopoldbluesky]

​@@AlexBallMusic Yes, that was a great episode!

[@johnpaullovetek1809]

O teu conhecimento e perícia sobre as máquinas é fantástico!

[@translunar1]

Amazing demonstration as I loved early Depeche Mode and always thought they used a CR78 for drums but would be good for you to talk to Warren Cann about Ultravox and demonstrate Vienna and his electronic drum rig which always fascinated me, as well as their use of the MiniMoog bass!

[@scottptolomey3498]

The CR78 does sound very similar doesn’t it in terms of songs like Mr X

[@williams9100-mdsf]

Alex. Thank you for this. You take me back to my sixth form disco, when is earnest goths would cheer up to dance to Depeche Mode!

[@kbtube8125]

very funny. glad you came out of it okay.

[@svggod7583]

I don’t know what I just watched and got lost trying to find out.. subbing since my curiosity made me through this vid and learned much. Looking forward to checking out the rest of the channel 👍🏽

[@LFOVCF]

Speak and Spell is a huge influence on me. Showing how the drums were done is just fantastic for me. As soon as you said about the trigger was the wrong way round, I was like that clip of Leonardo DiCaprio when he's sitting, then sits up, points and whistles 😂 I straight away knew you were going to use the inverter. That Daniel Miller though eh? Superbly nerdy content, Alex👍 Love the tune!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Haha - when you know, you know. :) Voltage Processors fans unite.

[@bennyshambles]

This was so good. I love Speak & Spell and I own KR-55. It’s a nice trick that you can use its trigger out and the instrument volume section to get different sounds. Luckily I have a Yamaha to trigger without worrying about the voltage issue.

[@furiobisotti8150]

Never a delusion. You are great. Knowledge and fun. Terrific mix Alex

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Wow, Well done Alex for sussing this out. I used to watch a lot of very early Live Vince Clark pre Speak and Spell DM. Drums & perc we’re on reel to reel for live. The KR-55 hi hat I absolutely adore. The KR-55 Snare is gorgeous. My personal favourite snare & hats on any drum machine. You really got that 2600 BD. All the drums on DM recordings and live before the release of S&S were 2600 & KR55. In late 1982 DM live were already going away from the pure analogue sound. For me Speak & Spell was the end of my favourite DM sound period. Fortunately we still had Yazoo’s Upstairs at Eric’s to come which was mostly TR-808 and SCi Pro One. Steppin’ out by Joe Jackson is probably the biggest hit featuring the lovely Korg KR-55. That snare and those hats on the 55 are perfection.

[@808v1]

love your videos, but when they touch on personal favs like this I cherish your efforts. thanks!

[@808v1]

that first machine you demo'd also sounded very much like OMD as well - Enola Gay I think.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I recall that being a CR-78, but I might be wrong.

[@fabricefuzillier8920]

Thanks a lot Alex! I'm gonna try the kick on my ARP 2600.

[@chriswareham]

"I have an MC-8 now". Respect, maximum respect. I regret not buying an MC-4B when they were dirt cheap, although at the time they all seemed to be suffering from dying buttons and no one seemed to know how to repair or replace them.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, that landed in my lap by surprise really. I've got a very special video planned for it as it's deserving. MC-4 is killer, still super powerful and the midi to MC-4 software is the icing on the cake. Great thing to own.

[@charlielebarge]

Just subscribed to your channel. You are a genius. Long life to Depeche Mode.

[@AgoAnselmo]

I recreated that kick drum patch on a plugin and it does sound great. So simple, yet effective. But it also makes me wonder: it's just a sine wave getting FM'd with an exponential decay, while the VCA fades more slowly (also, with a linear curve, therefore letting you hear more of the pitch decay before fading down). But objectively, isn't this something you can get pretty easily on any analogue synth? More than the possible impurities of the sine wave, the envelope shape should be the important element that takes you into this territory, isn't it? I ask because after years of drooling over this and that analogue synth, I'm starting to feel that once you've got the features you like, the interface is the most important factor and what drives you to different sounds.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Definitely, you can understand principles of sound and create them with numerous synths in numerous ways. They will all have variations in sound due to circuit design and envelope speeds and things, but there's a lot of overlap between what synths can do. A bit like guitars, pedals and amps. And you're absolutely right, the interface is a huge part of the experience. The 2600 is all about that.

[@josemarquez950]

Your videos are always fun but switching to music for some of your lines is next level. Thank you

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@mylivetubetv]

Thank you for your time. You are great!

[@allanroney]

I’m taking this as read that you’ve a 10hr Alan Wilder interview in the offing 👌🏻

[@kerzwhile]

Absolutely Fab Alex!! ❤ as per usual! Kinda brings a new life to the 2600..😮

[@AlexBallMusic]

New life, new life!

[@EarmonkeyMusic]

Thank you for confirmation that I too am an insufferable retro nitwit, not only because I too have an original vinyl copy of Speak and Spell, but because there more retro nerdiness you pack into these videos, the more excited I get. Great work as usual.

[@AlexBallMusic]

You are indeed an insufferable retro nitwit. Your membership card is in the post.

[@jeremycayea7541]

Another awesome video Alex, Love the content and keep up the great work!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@krg1965]

Flippin' heck - what an intro to your channel this video is, the very first one I've found/seen. Brilliant level of detail and just hearing you talk about CV and gate, plus plugging in pathc cords takes me right back to fledgling attempts to make electronic music back in 1981. Love the 2600 and you really know your way around it. My fave 2600 moment is Billy Currie's outro to Numan's live version of On Broadway - stunning. And you've set me right on a long-held assumption. I always thought the Daniel Miller kick was a Pro One, I can convince myself I saw an interview where Vince said that. (Although that may be where I got confused as I think the first Yazoo album had the the Pro One kick?) I've subscribed and am going to binge all your videos of this lovely kit. I see you have a CR78 video - my one remaing bit of kit I still own :-)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. I fact, I live at number 17, Memory Lane, Nostalgiaville. Pro~One - big part of the Yazoo sound, yep. Vince had a Kawaii and Jupiter-4 whilst in Depeche Mode.

[@matsnyberg8127]

A+ for Effort. I really loved this. Appreciate the deep dive. My brother, being a total depeche-headm would never had stopped watching the clip.

[@barnabynorman157]

That drum sound very much reminded me of the beat on Tour de France by Kraftwerk - nice video. Thanks for sharing.

[@madswellejus]

Thank you for sharing. Amazing banger at the end 👍

[@FranckChoppin]

Thank you for this great video!

[@soepil]

Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much. :)

[@44holmez]

Glorious! That was very insightful and interesting. 🎉❤

[@synthnerd4539]

That was Elton John's old 2600 as well, I believe? Bought by Daniel Miller in an Elton tour gear clearout.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Correct!

[@DaveS-Ace]

Mate ur videos are absolutely excellent. My fave so far was the prodigy one. Another cheeky prodigy one would be lovely 🤘🤘🤘

[@TheSafetyWord]

Oh my god this is so awesome, thanks so much for making this video. Subscribed!

[@LouisSerieusement]

such a cool video, thank you so much Alex !

[@aurelionasvw]

Nossa olha a quantidade de equipamentos pra produzir a música sensacional

[@RabbitRunway]

Unrelated. Lol. Found Get your love through the radio this morning on the drive to work. Traffic Laws were definitely ignored . Absolutely slaps!

[@hdsubstance1]

Superb reconstruction. Just made the kick on my b2600 and I'm a happy lad.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Nice. Does it sound the same on your synth? Hopefully I explained it clearly!

[@hdsubstance1]

Yea it does ... perfectly explained

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@hdsubstance1 Fantastic. Glad to know. I finally met Rob Keeble (who designed the Behringer 2600) in the flesh at SynthFest. He's made a Eurorack clone of my System 100m 141 prototype module, which is super cool. He's great with analogue design.