10 Distortion Techniques: Every Synth Needs This

[@MattPicsET]

Always grateful when Anthony posts, it’s such a privilege to have a pro like him sharing his expertise for free.

[@Slope114]

Friggin Brilliant! I thought I knew it all but learn something everytime I watch one of your vids!

[@79Daver]

He got me playing with my distortion now wow really cool video

[@Gerald_Daniel]

Thanks for letting us bath in distortion. I feel like cleaned by that aesthetic assertiveness.

[@velosouk]

To be able to get in touch with your knowledge it's just an amazing experience. I am a guitar player myself but I love the keyboards (play a bit), production and music history (you're part of it). We're all watching this happening and it's a privilege, we'll see 100K subscribers soon, and more and more. The keyboard comunity must share your channel, we must give back to you. Thanks Anthony, thank a lot!

[@yokelectronic]

Perfectly said my man 😉

[@pieceworkstudios]

"sometimes it's just fun to turn knobs" the truth of synthesizers straight from one of the most talented masters. Could listen and watch you experiment turning knobs all day 👍👍, however, I have a couple synths that need some knob turning as well 😂. Thanks for the knowledge and ideas!!

[@BullyMaguire4ever]

Before the thriller series I never knew about Anthony, but I’m glad I do now!

[@jabelsjabels]

Totally agree, every synth can benefit from distortion!

[@sunilsolanki]

Truly epic video! Thanks so much for walking on the dark side with those of us who appreciate a bit of grit with our synths!

[@WotanSkyFather]

That Mutron was pure destruction! It was absolutely JOYFUL to watch you go "wowowowow" along with the synths, man. You can tell you love it. I do the same thing.

[@allenpaley]

Hey Antony. Great to see you keep the cameras rolling and the videos coming! I get the impression you're really getting into it. Seems like you're getting more comfortable in front of the lens, and your production value keeps improving. May your snowball of KZbin success keep growing!

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Yes I am!

[@brandonjohnson7729]

Hey Anthony man i appreciate everything you doing you never know life you impacting

[@MikeLindup42]

Hey Anthony, this is a great tutorial reminding us what we might be missing! I have used drive from time to time on my hardware synths: there's a Level 42 instrumental on the first album called "43", and I play a Moog solo with a square waveform, and we split the output so that we got a clean sound into the desk and a driven sound into a guitar amp (I don't remember which amp, could have been a Fender Twin or maybe a Marshall) anyways - as we go through the solo and it develops, the amped sound gradually takes over until on the last note I get feedback - I think Mark (King) was dialling the gain controls on the amp.

[@crnkmnky]

😎😎😎

[@rodnee2340]

The Arp 2600 really loves some drive. And the Moog with resonance hits hard. That sound is why Analog is king of dirt. Love it! That hyper fuzz through the Moog is my favourite.

[@PylonRecordsdotcom]

I am addicted to this channel, also love all the sounds you made on the Synclavier Regen, hope you do a dive into that some day and make more libraries, but I would love to see what you do with the Sherman Filter, that is always in all your videos. Super Thank you for this awesome channel. Cheers!!

[@chetplease]

so grateful for your efforts. this one was absolute ear candy.

[@kerzwhile]

We are honored to have a mind like Anthony's engaging with the public and sharing his knowledge! ❤

[@radwarriortv]

It truly did help me find my tone! Give me that grinding gain! 😂

[@tothefinlandstation]

Underrated technique: put something inside the external input feedback loop. Putting my BOSS BF-2 flanger inside my microbrute's feedback loop created sounds very different than putting it just in the normal position after the synth,

[@ssommerfeld]

The plugin setup at the end was super interesting. So different than the hardware versions that are more organic for sure.

[@g3cd]

Note that you don't need a Moogerfooger that costs your right arm and your firstborn … I use an "Electro-Harmonix Operation Overlord" stereo pedal for my Roland TR-09 (a boutique 909 module) that cost like $150 and provides great results as it has a "Mix" knob, which the otherwise awesome Erica Synths Acidbox III doesn't have.

[@GlassTarantulah]

Thanks as always Sir Anthony!! Going to load up that Arturia Mini Moog v3 and go in!! Peace.

[@cortneyholt]

Anthony you got me into synths and music production thank you, Cortney

[@PurpleMusicProductions]

I'm mainly a bass player who moonlights a little into the world of synths, because I find them so interesting with endless sonic capabilities and absolutely love this channel. This was a wonderful demonstration. The emulators/plugin at the end is why I will NEVER leave the analog world. Not only the difference in sound but sometimes it's just fun to turn knobs.

[@poweruser64]

It would be really cool to see a series finding the differences in sound between analog gear and software

[@FilippoBeckPeccoz]

It's not just the wondrous experimentation with the pedals that gets me - it's your always musical way of presenting these sounds!, even when just playing "simple" bass lines! It feels like you instantly know what the sound needs in order to give it character. I love this channel

[@yokelectronic]

This lesson is essential. I'll be trying this. Thank you 😊

[@aftertheendtimes]

Hi dear Anthony. Very inspirational video,...I used to own these vintage Minimoog and Arp's synths in the 90's but lost them in a tragic happening, these day's i am at Poly D and 2600 by Behringer,..I have now tried to do exact what you showed here to recreate it on these modern takes of the real deal,..and belive it or not the Poly D and 2600 did create the same result desentley. Thanks a ton for these videos you put out,..and thanks for your presence

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

Grandmaster Marinelli - i bow in youre shadow ,- 😂 🙌🙏

[@morganmensa5129]

"Pretty fun." I just cant believe that MJ's synth programmer is showing me stuff! This is the best thing to come of the internet. I wish MJJ was alive today. All the people he has given love to, and received it with beautiful people like Anthony. His and your legacy will be eternal.

[@ChrisMills-AmbientSpace]

Anthony! This is pure gold! Thank you! I also see that you have a Sherman Filterbank 2 hanging out next to your Moog. Would you ever consider exploring some of the filter fun that you can get from that?

[@Elektronijaenis]

Boss HM-2 actually has a bit of a cult status in the deathmetal scene. It's also called swedish buzzsaw. The FZ-2 has bit of a similar status on the doom metal scene although it's maybe less popular.

[@synthnerd4539]

One of my favourite ways of gritting up synths and drum machines is to run them through an old Boss EQ pedal - +/-15dB of gain, plus the same on each band - really good as a fequency selective drive.

[@tihinter]

There also is that inexpensive TC electronics 1140 rack EQ around, that has a built in pre. This thing also rocks for distorting synths and drum machines. Tobi Neumann showed me this trick back in the days when rave culture just began.

[@hdsubstance1]

Amazingly understadable sound design trip here. Thanks for the masterclass.

[@fakshen1973]

As an engineer, watching you yank patch cables out like that makes me want to scream. :)

[@eobet]

2:57 Hello Jean Michel Jarre Rendez Vouz… always wondered where the laser harp sound came from and I guess now we know! 😄

[@thepanicroommastering2062]

I do love your Masterclass Tutorials so much (especially for the 2600.. the Prophet & the Model D) thank you dearly….they mean a World to me (and us) 🔥👍 ….Anthony you are close to 100K now…I've already put the champagne cold to celebrate your deserved 100K 🥂✨🍾 🎉

[@Andronicus2007]

Anthony is like the cool Uncle I never had... my real Uncle makes and plays Banjos! 😮

[@DuckAlertBeats]

Well that's pretty cool in itself!

[@Andronicus2007]

@@DuckAlertBeats Like yee-haaw!

[@DuckAlertBeats]

@@Andronicus2007 😃

[@goonfish]

Dude, that's fuckin' sick.

[@Chris-sv8ty]

Ur uncle is cool

[@Rattus9000]

Dangit Anthony, now I gotta get a pedal.

[@ElCharvo]

DPW DESIGN MOG D-2 is great for running synths (or anything else ) through.

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

Wow, the hyper fuzz on a minimoog ripped my tv speakers 🤯 that was nuts

[@WoodyBReal]

Awesome I love playing with distortion on synths!

[@noisemodule]

I would love to see you try your ARP 2600, Model D, etc with Soundtoys' Decapacitator. I would pay for a month of Patreon if you released a bunch of presets that you made specifically for each instrument - 'ARP Talking Filter Grind', 'Moog Sup'ed-Up Square Bass', etc. it would be interesting to see how you use that plugin and what kind of magick you could squeeze out of it.

[@RemixSample]

Really cool sounds! Thanks for sharing Anthony!

[@robertelovsson8344]

Am I the only one having trouble controlling my beow-waow mouth movements watching this awesome stuff?

[@blakeimmel4160]

Put your mouth around your phone mic while he plays to simulate a filter

[@piktormusic2538]

I appreciate the run through Anthony. I do love seeing people who love sound working with varieties of tones in this way. You got some terrifically nasty tones. I have a couple Multimoogs (still). It was back in the early eighties when I first heard of the Minimoog input trick. Of course the Mini and Multi have different ins and outs, etc. With some experimentation, I found that I liked the overdrive that I got by routing the Multi’s audio back into the filter input, rather than the audio input more. Eventually, I used a Boss Turbo OD on the Multi, but a RAT pedal seemed to pair better with a Matrix 6.

[@ssommerfeld]

Enjoyed this practical distortion demo. Great ideas here. Thanks again!

[@Zwopper]

As usual the ARP eats the Moog alive! 💪😎🤘

[@brainhamster]

It's a fine line between...... Also application dictates performance

[@AlejandroGuerrero]

ARP!!!!!

[@RetrocosmNet]

This is just wonderful, priceless knowledge and experience and a joy to watch. Keep them coming please.

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

With digital multi-fx it seems that the od/ds/fz section is still behind analog pedals. Time based and modulation fx can be absolutely fantastic in the digital domain. Have put a Boss DS-1 on drummachine (kick & snare) and with the gain/distortion low (12 o'clock or lless) you get a crunch and maintain dynamics. My KingKorg (not an ARP 2600 or MiniMoog) has this boost/drive option with a real tube in synth 😅

[@TeddyLeppard]

Your channel has fast become one of my favorite on KZbin. Always something fantastic to watch here.

[@andrewverran3498]

Being a prog/techno DJ from the 90s, (had 303s/909/sh5/Jd800 ..etc, I appreciate Uli bringing the 2600, Poly D and MonoPoly to the masses. . Peace😊

[@russell_szabados]

That fuzz pedal sounds amazing! I've used an overdrive pedal, the Boss heavy metal & death metal pedals but never the fuzz. I gotta grab that for my Bass Station.

[@mickeythompson9537]

Of all those wonderful, high-end instruments and effects... I have the Joyo, and you make it sound good! Thanks for demonstrating all this drive and v distortion.

[@jt_via]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! It was fun comparing all of those different sounds and listening to them through my studio monitors! The minimoog is KING!!! Also love the Arp 2600, and so neat how each peddle adds different tone colors.

[@pongtrometer]

That’s was a real joy , much thanks 👾🎛️🎹🔉🔊

[@barbaracolquhoun7421]

I also have a joyo pedal but never really used it, only for gain on my Korg & Uno. Thanks for the demo. Cheers

[@raukuscorpas5413]

im absolutely blown away,your knowledge is outdone by your generosity Anthony,thank you.

[@denniswaakopreijers115]

Anthony it’s such a pleasure watching you produce these great sounds and talking about the intricacies of the petals, amazing! If you’re ever in the Netherlands, you should definitely come to the Conservatory of Amsterdam to talk to the students as you are inspiring new generations with a great legacy! ❤

[@suitandtieguy]

A big difference between the SEM and Two Voice is not just two voices but the fact the output mixer is basically an MXR Distortion Plus with two inputs. The muSonics modular takes this into account, along with allowing the filter and VCA to overdrive as well.

[@miketemplar]

You're such a wizard!

[@furiobisotti8150]

Wonderful lesson Anthony. Many thanks. I like that you are going to consider VSTs too. They are cheap and allow us to try tecnhiques also if we don't own a real minimoog

[@oswaldorbitous5950]

Awesome video Anthony, this ended my search for a great sounding distortion unit. Thank you!

[@cactus-wren]

Awesome! I really enjoy your videos, Anthony! Never a dull moment. Greetings

[@leyetnin1]

Sherman Filterbank distortion!!!

[@dox1755]

This mans passion piercing through screen

[@bernyboss]

Amazing to have Mr. Marinelli teaching us how to drive! 🚗 🚙🔝

[@Mhmusiccc]

I absolutely love these in-depth tutorials! Please keep them coming 😍

[@Imetalman2000]

This knowledge is priceless. Thanks for sharing

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lspyderp]

Now I have two Marinelli’s synth freaks guiding me, One younger and one older, I just can’t Fing lose !😂

[@AudioAtmos]

Thanks for sharing!!👍

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Marvelous. I could listen to all these wonderful sounds on loop all evening. I'm now off to order a new pedal... but which ! ! ? ?

[@WrathOfWood]

cool stuff some really gnarly sounds here just playing with the knobs finding those sweet spots

[@wirenoises]

This was a very cool video. Neat 2600 patch ideas, and excellent to hear all those pedals. Thanks for including a comparison between the Moogerfooger hardware and the VST version. The tones from the Boss Hyper Fuzz were great, too. I'm going to go play with distortion now. :)

[@Psychiccleaners]

Best video regarding distorting synths.

[@MyVinylRips]

This is unique content. The combination of your pleasant personality and your insane knowledge and musicality, is just priceless! So helpful and inspiring for us synth-players and musicians. Thank you!

[@rosalindwebb7729]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on these wonderful instruments ❤

[@loudboymusic8018]

Nothing more inspiring and informative! Thank you Anthony for your channel and all the wonderful music!!!

[@RobFlaxMusic]

Stumbling into this video months later, realizing I have a spare preamp in my modular skiff that I hadn’t thought to use yet… gonna use it for drive now! Thanks again for inspiring videos 🙌🏼

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Thanks for your feedback and support!

[@higgmusic]

"Sometimes it's fun to just turn knobs." Yes 😂😂😂

[@nebuladus7850]

Hi Anthony✨️🎵✨️ I believe I've used the boss hm2 pedal before😊thxsomuch ✨️ ✨️✨️✨️✨️

[@adijames]

Loved how filthy this was 🫡

[@GenocidePanda]

reminded how good the mini sounds all on its own

[@morganmensa5129]

@ 8:15 , how come you usually don't use osc one? I've noticed you often leave it, for maybe modulation later on, or sub bass?

[@Markrspooner]

fantastic video, lots talk about distortion but great seeing different approaches and hardware

[@marcusholder495]

Very cool video thank you 😊

[@olivehillstudios]

Excellent video Anthony and crew, so many inspiring ideas to try!

[@the8bitdeity]

God I love distortion, I recently picked up 6 channel API box to use with the DIYRE Colour system for lots of variety of saturation.

[@joe-farwick]

amazing! I hope this is available on my moog one too

[@lyh1]

I was getting so many distortion pedal to trace the 303 vibe and original think was just get one to fat up my circuit groovebox. I also get a orange tube amp for my synth, but it seems when the sound design work they are not wasted.

[@VincentsVideoVisions]

Dod carcosa is all you need for 303 my friend. :)

[@ringsystemmusic]

god you can go on for days just playing with distortion on a 303

[@FreqBand]

I like the "Spinal Tap" graphic font.

[@els1f]

I've only ever heard that classic moog feedback distortion through emulations, and WOW it's good to hear the real deal Holyfield!😱 Edit: 18:33 I'm going to be hearing Da Funk by Daft Punk for hours now - even if that wasn't what you were intending🙃 Edit 2 and final lol: regarding software distortion, I never found any that lives up to the crazy sound of even the cheapest pedals. There's something ALIVE about a circuit that is on the edge of melting 😋 BUT my absolute favorite distortion Is "Dent 2" by Unfiltered Audio. It can do some RIDICULOUS stuff and sounds amazing IMO! ✌️

[@Andronicus2007]

Ah the old output to the input feedback trick!

[@crnkmnky]

I don't know much about plugins, but I got some interesting waveshaping from various free Melda plugins. The preset labels are random and useless though. On one hand, you get what you paid for. On the other hand, I guess you have to actually _listen_ to find the right tone.

[@GeorgesChannel]

Great video, Anthony! Now i need a synthesizer :) I start with a humble Jupiter 8 :) Keep doing these videos.

[@TheRoklobsta]

Terrific tutorial! I think an oscilloscope display (and maybe even a spectral display) would have helped with this to illustrate what you are describing.

[@activelow9297]

My all time favorite distortion technique is to use a cheap Mackie mixer and overdrive the preamp! Has a very crunchy and dirty sound. Works great on drums.

[@enricopallazzoofficial]

I'm learning a ton of stuff from Anthony. I have a few questions: 1. When you put the Moog into the Fender Showman, the sound of the distorted synth was coming from a miked amp cabin or the amp was going through a cabin simulator and then into the computer? 2. Do you think synth distortion belongs only to Mono synths or also Poly?

[@techlab7]

Thanks for this. I ended up getting the Joyo American Sound Pedal and have been running my synths through it to get some grittiness. Going to try the Boss Heavy metal next.

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Rock on!

[@brainhamster]

Can you please explain van halen's 'dancing in the street' minimoog??? And also ' intruder', by the van halens? Thsnks

[@craigturb]

Great video - gorgeous sounds! How are you capturing the sound from the Fender amp? I only see a single input cable from the Minimoog and no mic?

[@GizzyDillespee]

I'll have to listen again 8n the morning when I can crank this. Right now I gotta keep it low.

[@Esperluet]

Extraordinary ❤

[@filtafacta]

Awesome sounds! 🤩🤩🤩 The Arturia has the feedback loop option in the mini. That's pretty disappointing too :(