Discovering Electronic Music (1983)

"We live in an age of technology in which machines touch every part of our lives. It is not suprising that music has also been influenced by technology."
This 1983 documentary film by director and writer Bernard Wilets examines the basics of analog synthesis, digital sampling and sequencing.

[@dustintravis8791]

this electronic music is going to take off one day, mark my words

[@apmellowars_8128]

Dustin Travis It already has. Hugely

[@kagi95]

@@apmellowars_8128 wooosh

[@profd65]

Oh, that's so funny. Really.

[@FearlessPhillip]

The cinematography of this film is creepy and utterly fantastic

[@Kalumbatsch]

Creepy? How?

[@IFADWORLD]

That's kind of "cool" in that year. Just like another documentary series or even tv commercials

[@brianregan75]

Soooo creeepy with that school filmstrip vibe of the late 70s/early 80s.

[@eddyf4426]

@@Kalumbatsch Well the creepiness is in part an amalgam of suffocating zooms, awkward transitions, tape noise and video glitches, dissonant sounds, music and interviews with guys that looked liked they walked out of Area 51; creepy but yes utterly fantastic!

[@Kalumbatsch]

@@eddyf4426 Nah, it's just the first minute and then you got the idea stuck in your head.

[@dedpxl]

40 years later this is still pretty neat. only difference is normal people can experience these tools for free on their home computer or phone, and back in the day this would cost tens of thousands of dollars.

[@morbidmanmusic]

still not as good as some of these these tools, believe me.

[@brmbkl]

" can experience these tools for free on their home computer or phone" good digital synths (U-He, Madrona Kaivo, Applied Acoustics Systems, ...) still cost money, and the analog modular gear (as seen above) still is expensive. there is a lot of interesting stuff (generative, granular) on Ipad though, for about the price of a good meal, but then an Ipad isn't cheap. what strikes me is how good the emulation is of the modular guy, when we had to wait 40 years to finally be able to produce really realistic acoustic instruments in software.

[@andreeremoe5094]

Thanks to all those researchers , developers and musicians in the past that made today's electronic music sound so fantastic and easy to produce.

[@Swanlord05]

Thank you we passed the baton

[@JohnnysCoolStuff]

The 80's was an exciting time if you liked electronics and computers. Especially if you had a Commodore 64 with 3 synths built in.

[@alexhauptmann298]

Or alternatively, a three-voice polysynth...dang I wish mine was working...

[@dockdrumming]

+John Cox Yep, it was called the S.I.D. Chip or sound interface device. I had a Commodore 128 which had that chip as well.

[@tracythejazzlifer4529]

@@dockdrumming my first computer was a Commodore 128 for 350 dollars. Because of the astronomical price to afford a 2,800 dollar Macintosh 2. LoL. Those floppy drives seemed so fast back then. These days I have 4 or 5 computers in every room. My Android phone can do more than the computers used in order to send men to the moon.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

But sadly, not the version of the Atari 65XE with the never-released AMY-1 chip, which was to be called the 65XEM ("XE Music"). The AMY-1 (meaning "additive musical synthesis") was to have been developed to compete with Commodore's SID ("sound interface device") chip used in its Commodore 64. While a few prototypes of the 65XEM were built, it was never officially released after Atari decided instead to focus its home computer resources on the new 16-bit 520ST and 1040ST that were on sale at the same time as the 8-bit 65XE and 130XE; interestingly, the 520ST was also supposed to have been made with the AMY-1, but instead went for Yamaha's YM2149 before its release.

[@KalimanOxcuro]

For those interested, the computerized Bach song is: Carlos Futura - Bach For Computer-Generation (Invention Nr. 8) (1979)

[@rugomez8626]

Holy crap this is gorgeous.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Parts of the original 1970 version that were removed from this 1983 revision: Programming the Moog modular to imitate a trumpet (the melody played is "Taps") and, later, when they discuss about how the synthesizer can also imitate sounds of Mother Nature (rain, wind, thunder and chirping birds).

[@project-95]

So glad I found this comment, I'm watching thinking how the hell is this 1983 it looks like the 60s!

[@joerehm4783]

WOW!!! I am just starting out in the electronic music and although this video is dated, it really helps me to understand some basic principles. Great video in my opinion!!

[@eksdee2170]

I’ve been producing house for about 7 years now, and all the VSTs makes sense. Back then sounds were created physically with knobs in a synthesizer, now we have VSTs so we can turn the knobs such as decays, attacks, EQ and all the stuff digitally, pretty cool, was always interested in the good ol’ days of electronic music production

[@dadecounty5012]

@@eksdee2170 i got 3 months as a producer but i have knowledge of a 10 year producer thanks youtube :)

[@moonlightemporium3962]

@@dadecounty5012 How is that going now?

[@DavidandClara]

I love watching documentaries like this while make music. Or while pausing during the process. It's so hypnotic. I love it. Soothing to the soul.

[@supahfly_uk]

That fairlight computer with the pen 4:20 was so ahead of the game

[@MyLife-so1jl]

this video sounds and looks 10-15 years older than it really is.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

But Rory Kaplan's Fairlight CMI demos will dispel the fact.

[@mhausb6436]

I believe parts of it are from the 60s or early 70s. The Fairlight bits were probably added later and that's why it says "(revised)" under the title.

[@michaelbauers8800]

I hear 70s electronic music. But it's not unreasonable for the documentary to not be cutting edge.

[@videosuperhighway7655]

Time Traveller went back in time with that CMI for a special demo.

[@LouiePlaysDrums]

The film was originally made in 1971. The Fairlight parts were added in 1983. I saw the original version when I was in high school.

[@brianwilson49]

fascinating. the fairlight still seems contemporary today. it must have blown people's minds in 1979!

[@ian_b]

It did. It was astonishing.

[@Dez_The_Fox]

I actually have one! I'd recommend getting one if you can find one and afford it.

[@jessihawkins9116]

@@Dez_The_Fox if you die can I have it?

[@eti313]

It blew my mind, back in the day. Like hearing the Orchestra 5 hit in Planet Rock, among other moments.

[@6079-smithw]

The ways electricity is used to create that utter sweet sound by dead clean oscillations is so appealing. Watching these flicks makes me think of buying a nice analog synthesizer though I never learned to play piano or such. I'm so in love with these square-shaped arpeggios!

[@6079-smithw]

+Claus Chuzpe It's such a pity there are no recently produced polyphony analog synthesizers in the market nowadays. Chords do sound so lovely on gear like the Rhodes Chroma or such.

[@coreychris2701]

+Claus Chuzpe Boom, the new korg minilogue polyphonic analog

[@rhythmdroid]

+Claus Chuzpe Ummm Elektron Analog Keys is ridiculously powerful

[@annother3350]

Clause - there are loads around these days and more coming out every year

[@mikabreto]

Check out Synthtopia.com, Gearslutz and Sonicstate for more.

[@mantriccaravan8228]

The classical Moog stuff about 8min in is worth the watch alone! Love the sound of the old Moogs! 19min in Cusco on the Fairlight! Awesome stuff. No VST's just straight forward sequencing on the fly on one machine.

[@PerChristianFrankplads]

At 20:00 we can probably see how Stewart Copeland made a lot of his 80's music on a Fairlight system. Very similar sounds and transposing techniques.

[@yuriivanov6601]

R.I.P. Peter. Music is grateful to you for everything you have done for it! :(

[@Sunfell]

That orchestra strike towards the end was one of the most used Fairlight presets around.

He starts really "feeling" the music at 20:20 and gives in to the sick groove he's created.

[@LRS905]

It sounds like the piece of shit the nerds played in that "Revenge of the Nerds" crap.

[@julienz2024]

hahahaha I laughed out loud XD

[@jnewhouse3806]

RL R you mean one of great rock bands of all time, Devo?

[@jasonwhite7452]

....And Lewis and Gilbert will be joining in

[@profd65]

Now, now. Millennials and zoomers shouldn't be so judgmental about this stuff. After all, the only music they can "create" is either retro--a sad imitation of something that was done better thirty years ago--or it's music that derives almost all of its interest from the samples it contains. (That's when they're not simply doing covers.) A good example of this "creativity" is Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" where a guy just raps over the top of a Nine Inch Nails song; the guy can't even be bothered to learn to sing--that's what autotune is for. There's nothing wrong with a sample that's used creatively, or with a sample that has a purely "supporting role" in a song--provided everybody gets paid who should get paid. But in "Old Town Road" the sample IS the song, or at least it's the part of the song that makes us want to listen, and that's bullsh-t.

[@Lars-ze2xf]

19:55 Oh hello Orchestra hit! Nice to hear you again! Nice video!

[@MrCalvitoo]

They need to put this stuff on the news of every country una a daily basis for like a month, so people would understand...Thanks a lot for sharing this one!!

[@LuigiElettrico]

Now this is what I'd want in the 90's back then - CRT with touchscreen. Making changes in tracker modules would be fast as light... from the pen.

[@rzu7120]

Forbidden Planet -1956, the first movie to feature a fully electronic soundtrack.

[@KeytarKris]

Thank you so much for this. I've bought 80s technology to play retro sounds, and this totally inspires me to keep working on it to make some good synthwave

[@oholm09]

I got all off my gear including I got d.a.w software

[@simonambient6243]

Electronic music had taken over our lives and got better and bigger in studios just like mine .... It gave us more art to work on and learn more to how to keep turning this world around today and still live on it // and understand it ... Art and music talk to each other and this is an example of what people are missing out on today the loss to understand audio

[@mferentino]

This is my new favorite film!

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

like a sculpture, wonderful analogy

[@forayblahzay]

7:21 bro playing those keys FIRE!!!

[@zach_attakk]

14:55 Major Clockwork Orange PTSD right there...

[@ButterfaceGMusicSlump]

constant white noise in this video gotta love the old days.

[@SuperGinkgo]

That was great, thanks for the upload. 😊👍

[@kvmoore1]

WOW! I enjoyed every minute of this video and wish it was longer. Much of the electronic musical technology that is now affordable and available at our fingertips today that some of us probably take for granted was revolutionary back 41 years ago when this video was made. The Fairlight, Moog modular, and that big vintage mainframe that were presented in this video cost an arm and a leg back then and only privileged and wealthy musicians were able to have access to these machines. Watching this video makes me appreciate how far technology has progressed and what we have available today that is affordable. We can do all of the things shown on this video today with just a few pieces of inexpensive equipment, or even just with a computer with some software. AMAZING!!!!! Thanks for uploading this documentary.

[@Magnus_Loov]

I wonder if the Moog Modular really was sought after back in 1983. Then digital was all the rage when the DX7 was just released, the Emulator had been out (sampling) and drum machines were coming. Most analog stuff was almost handed out at that time. Almost no one wanted it.

[@kvmoore1]

@Magnus_Loov Good point. On the other hand, digital was also very expensive back then, especially digital sampling and anything involving computers because memory was expensive. Fast forward to today, and it's the complete opposite. Digital is now cheap/affordable, while analog is expensive. Hehehe.

[@juanleon2732]

How the presets they created there are present on many of the current VST plugins and sound alike. Great documentary!

[@arturospeaks]

FL STUDIO PRESENTS: THE ORIGINS

[@xplo8554]

Fl studios presents: a daw for children

[@ionserbanescu]

FL studio wasn't yet thinked :))

[@igorbeuk4068]

On the contrary, Cubase was the first and only owner of VST technology 😉 but FL was also there somewhere but without Audio capabilities

[@79Glitch]

There were dozens of DAWs before FL Studio, which I think was called Fruity Loops at the time? But Ableton is the most popular, overall. And Logic Pro is what most serious musicians and instrumentalists use. FL Studio has become more a specialized daw for popp-y trap and tik tok music.

[@DandersonsDj]

I remember messing with fruity loops as a child

[@majornamic]

a lot of these synthesizes tunes they do sound like old school game soundtrakcs like chronotrigger It is awesome

[@planetmusicbahrain]

Big thanks for sharing this video...Awesome!

[@jack3361]

It's nice to see how far we dun came

[@professortrog7742]

Good old fairlight.. about 20 years ago i had the chance to get one for scrap price, but had no way of transporting and storing it. I hope it made another geek happy 😬

[@kevgamble]

Great stuff! 19:18 is a fascinating moment - the difference between human performance and automation is subtle, but enormous.

[@bullpup1337]

I think its just quantized. If you dont like it, dont use it. At least today we can choose.

[@OGFlipperbaby]

That was one of the most relaxing things i've ever watched. what i would give for that gear..

[@georgepaul5612]

Arm and a leg. Maybe a liver and a kidney.

[@VVIPWORLDUSA]

The Fairlight CMI (short for Computer Musical Instrument) was one of the earliest music workstations with an embedded digital sampling synthesizer. cost $30k -$75k

[@oholm09]

JAY HOT cost like a new car or house

[@Ajoura]

Synclavier was even earlier and even more expensive. Gladly they both were reissued as VSTs by Arturia. Didn't like CMI, though, but Synclavier was something else.

[@gtabro1337]

Suddenly Serum’s price tag seems like a steal

[@Magnus_Loov]

@@Ajoura No they weren't earlier with sampling. They added sampling long after the first Fairlight was released. The Synclavier was an FM only Synth with some digital extras to begin with. Sampling was only added in 1982. At that time Fairlight had been out three years and was already on the second version CMI 2. And Emu had also released a sampler in 1981, a year before Synclavier added sampling. So Synclavier was far, far behind when it came to sampling.

[@markfarry7217]

19:09 IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS JACK

[@lego5745]

House is a feeling

[@EmondroRocco]

@@lego5745 that no one can understand unless you're deep into the vibe of house

[@mikebythesea45]

Garage Band with touch screen in 1983? Holy crap!

[@sackajapeanuts]

Sound effects... AND space music? Holy moley!

[@buickmonte]

Some of the sounds remind me of the horror B movies shown late at night when i was a kid,just simple sounds,no over production was sometimes more frightining.

[@TrioLOLGamers]

Because in that era there were lots of Electronic artists making music for films.

[@jarekzapzap6755]

This was a huge thing for humanity back then

[@stencilwashington]

GREAT!! :) my favorite part is definitely the tiny volume/velocity lever @17:48 ^^

[@factckzone7533]

Submitted for your approval.... The opening narrator's dramatic sounding voice reminds me of Rod Serling from The Twilight Zone. Excellent and informative video!

[@Cloudy_Days.]

I'm wearing my "I love the 80's" T-shirt right now 💙

[@victorschwalm393]

...super work..tks shrng...

[@apmellowars_8128]

18:57 this whole thing is absolutely brilliant

[@baconfister]

Glad to see that bands like NIN and Radiohead are able to keep electronic music from sucking-and still relevant-as it started to do in the late 1980s.

[@JeffreyMMVIII]

13:36 shout out to SERUM

[@joro407]

Man exactly what i thought hahah, cant belive this thing is 35 years old :D

[@doranl4316]

And here I thought wave tables was a cutting edge technology nowadays

[@dickdiamonds3410]

Vital is free tho

[@project562]

wow back then, they had a DAW that had a touch screen.

[@bernardjharmsen304]

Fairlight CMI

[@dickdiamonds3410]

Based

[@rvz6874]

Loved seeing the fair light in this

[@BboySalamon]

Super, thanks a lot. 1983 forever

[@nectarinedreams7208]

lol this is the 70s

[@pepe7drum]

It fascinates me watch all this stuff we are blessed to see the evolution of an instrument while is happening

[@hugoarielburgosespin]

para mi totalmente nuevo.muy claro y didactico,gracias...

[@alirezagolsorkhi8187]

I love it.So interesting!How pity its resolution is so low.

[@1103MusikBerlin]

very harmonic video thank you

[@THAT-ONE]

This is awesome!

[@dickdiamonds3410]

There's a lot of bitter and angry comments in this thread. I love synth music and thoroughly loved this video

[@OneyButtwillies]

19:29 sounds like a midi you'd hear on geocities circa 1998 :)

[@branaa09]

Or any PC 90s game that used midi.

[@Fopenplop]

those were probably cutting-edge soundfonts in '83

[@tlatsegms]

Great sound!

[@RobertoGinsburg]

Moog Modular System and C.M.I. (Computer Music Instrument) of Fairlight [the original digital sampler workstation, made in AUSTRALIA, 1979].

[@JAvi-be5xv]

the sample potential here is fucking nuts

[@oakmonster2164]

With garageband for free on the iPhone I realize too much has been taken for granted today. They are synthesizing sounds with a room full of giant equipment lol

[@hollowmenrule]

this is fantastic

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

19:54 - the "ORCH5" (orchestra hit) sample, which would be used in many Konami arcade games and some SNES games, too!

[@lavishdeluna6099]

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could... that they didn't stop to think if they should. Also, you gotta love that the first thing the dude does in the final performance is lay down four kicks. Some things never change.

[@demover7]

Bam 7:46 Aerodynamic sample. The album name was Discovery... Intriguing.

[@exiletomars]

Nope, that is some Bach(Two Part invention F Major, if you want to hear a lovely version listen to Wendy Carlos' version on Switched on Bach) in the video, Aerodynamic samples some Sister Sledge(IL Macquillage Lady off of the album"The Sisters") song.

[@dedpxl]

stupid daft punk rip off all of their music

[@stevenmayhew3944]

That last piece of music demonstrated, although produced about two generations ago, sounds like one of those Animusic pieces.

[@electronicpetz8833]

Excellent !

[@MichelBarbaro]

Simple amazing! Thank you!

[@lionra4523]

Thank you!

[@skriptico]

notes recording still the same after 50 years :O and the black midied Bach rocking!

[@notimewarp]

that tune he plays at the end bears a striking resemblance to Star Cycle by Jeff Beck (3 years before this movie was made)... cool with me...

[@senorverde09]

I thought that too.

[@princekadeem8689]

The fact that this guy just made the sexiest little riff with a filtered jet engine 🤯😫☠️

[@staspastukh2005]

Thanks!

[@Made_In_Heaven88]

The sound at the very start of this video reminded me of those damn Regenerators from Resident Evil 4

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

CMI Fairlight is the coolest modern musical Instrument ever made. Easily the best sampler of all time.

[@oquefilmaragora]

cool. but impossible not to think of "look around you" while watching

[@funguy8801]

Thanks ants ... "Thants!"

[@joshuaa.c.newman7430]

Synthesizer Patel is featured!

[@apexmike849]

He finally gets ready to drop the bass at 19:11 ;-)

[@doranl4316]

Cool chiptune sound effects at 18:17

[@mrginn]

Dayum we've come a long way

[@whulse1662]

I wonder if the first guy talking has heard how far this stuff has come.

[@Zephyrinator]

07:44 Piece of cake.

[@darrenplace5562]

12:08 guy made a killer 808

[@hellogoodbye4157]

electronic jazz, huh? Thats new to me...methinks I shall include that into my Electronic Music Artist course in the future ;)

[@zxvadcsfbh]

+Seren Hutton Go look into the classic label 'Acid Jazz'

[@dissdad8744]

Quite amazing that you can do all this on a mobile computer, in fact even a tablet or mobile phone these days.

[@engelscarvalho5161]

thats nice bro!!!

[@McAlchem1st]

14:23 Best Vocal chopping!

[@Dmyra]

19:34 turn the rec quantize off... wonder if it had that option, seems to have errything else

[@myousickoflife]

Quantize is the worst.

[@virgilwilliams2378]

Fairlight Sampler. That The Art of Noise used back in the day.

[@pmeagle]

Counterpoint music on an electronic instrument is all I could ask in a video.

[@Fr3eLanc3r]

Look at the size of that freaking floppy disk lol

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

That song he makes at the end is an absolute jam. Sounds like a Yoshi’s Island level

[@rosalesrommel]

impressive!!!!

[@a-a3737]

thanks for the samples xD

[@thebookkeeper3508]

19:07 great bassline

[@georgetempest2469]

Shame about the picture and audio quality, but never the lass, a good insight of how things started. There are just not enough documentaries about the early synth days around. I still have my very first Korg MS20 and the Mono/Poly - by far more exciting than the VST versions!