Old School Tape Sync | How did it work? | Old school multi tracking Part 2

How did old school tape sync work? To sync up a MIDI sequencer and the the Portastudio?
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Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own music takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!
Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha as well as loads of artists doing what is now called Italo Disco. And many more great acts like Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Dire Straits ++

[@RosssRoyce]

Human skills are progressing more and more the further we look into the past!

[@timcarleton]

I just want to say how much I appreciate the authenticity of this piece. Specifically Espen neglecting to put a label on the tape. :)

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@ruscular]

Yes, and I recently got my hand on the MMT8 for cheap. More info on that as well.

[@EspenKraft]

@@ruscular I have a video about the MMT-8 on here. ;-)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Ooo, that slow tape speed is where it's at. Perfect for creating samples.

[@EspenKraft]

If I dig deep enough I think I still have old tapes with old recordings of snippets of sounds meant for sampling back in the day. Used Yamaha Portas back then, but they also had double speed.

[@magicspiral]

In all my years of multi-track cassette recording, I have yet to utilize the tape sync feature on the four track. Thanks for elaborating!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@RU-HDD-4-HVN]

Espen Kraft = The Boss of Analog Synths and Technology He's the "Old School No Fool" real deal!!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@ewetoo]

There's a doco about the 10cc track, they recorded several tracks of each voice chromatically and made huge tape loops of them and recorded THOSE into new tracks that could be fitted into the recording deck and the real trick after that was to set a cutoff above a certain db level for all the faders with a strip of tape across the desk so there was always a complete spectrum of vocals. When the song comes with the kick and the sound of the voices, you're hearing the actual base level of the recording deck of every voice. Amazing stuff.

[@adkywun]

SMPTE the good old days thx espen

[@-VCO-]

We used to work with a Tascam 688 (the best cassete portastudio ever, with 8 tracks) and a Roland W-30. The 688 had a built-in MIDI to FSK converter on track 8, which made MIDI sync operations nearly transparent. We never had any real issues with sync crosstalk, but even if you wanted to sacrifice a track, there were still six tracks left. Besides the usual keyboards and drums, sometimes we would even put some vocal parts on the W-30's sequencer, in order to free up tape tracks.

[@Mozart1220]

8 tracks on cassette is convenient, but the quality obviously suffers. I had a Tascam "Porta II". GREAT machine, but the quality was sketchy compared to digital.

[@-VCO-]

@@Mozart1220 We started with a Porta One, but the 688 was on a different level, with 2x tape speed and DBX noise reduction, the sound quality was pretty good for 1990 standards. Besides, there were no multi track digital solutions available in the same price range (under $3k) and the average high end PC was a 386 with 4 MB RAM, with hard drives sizes around 120-240 MB.

[@timswink7505]

This is just the best. I read about this type of sync but have never used it. It’s so nice to see how it’s really donee and why. Thanks Espen

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks Tim!

[@Rompler_Rocco]

I always thought that setting it to "Sync" mode isn't causing it output the recorded sync signal, but rather just removes DBX noise reduction from that specific track. I'm certainly second-guessing it now, though. You obviously know your stuff. Thanks for another awesome demo!

[@RegebroRepairs]

No, that's exactly correct, it removes the dbx from track 4 only.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

This is soo cool! Tape sync, a feature I hadn't really explored... but now I have to!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks my friend! Tape sync was essential working with midi and sequencers. ;)

[@ruscular]

If you flip the tape to get the reverse effect, does that mess up with the sync, or can you switch the sync from track 4 to track 1 ?

[@sauermusicDE]

@@ruscular The "SYNC" position of the DBX switch only works on track 4 specifically. It's job is to deactivate the DBX noise reduction system on track 4 because the DBX system works like a "compander" on the audio signal and the ongoing DBX signal processing would ruin the sync-signal. So you would probably have to record the whole song without using DBX at all (!) to make sure it doesn't apply to track 1 after flipping the tape. That would be a VERY noisy recording...but I think it depends on how "busy" the audio tracks are with music. If the recorded music is very loud most of the time, it should "mask" the noise a little. Unfortunately it's NOT possible to decide the sync track number by yourself. The sync signal might not even be sent out to the sync connector after flipping the tape.

[@ruscular]

@@sauermusicDE I was thinking about that later that it would not even recognize the sync after it was flip. I have a digital recorder so I guess it might be moot anyway.

[@peterj.9713]

My Roland R8 has Tape Sync ,too. I never used it because I had Cubase with midi time code but nice too see how Tape Sync works. Thanks for showing.

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, Tape sync and Midi Time Code is two different things. Cheers

[@BishopEddie5443]

I was going to ask you about the 'Hipster Trick' in your Part 1 of this series, and now you beat me to it and even threw in some history about the 10CC song- I'm Not In Love'! Thanks so much!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@timothy5974]

I enjoy your channel so much, takes me back to my youthful days learning to make music. This series makes me want to unpack my MMT-8 ,424, and my Roland. Thank You Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks! :D

[@LittleRichard1988]

I used to tape sync my Roland SD-35 with a Roland MC-500 back in the day when I used a Tascam Porta 424. I can't remember weather or not the Porta One had that facility but it did have a jack for Remote Punch In/Out. It's still remarkable how midi sequencing was possible even without a computer.

[@the_JTowny]

Great vid Espen. Watching this makes me appreciate my daw so much more 😁 I sold my old fostex last year. It sat there unused for best part of 20 years. Old samplers, synths and even sequencers are cool. But 4 tracking, I draw the line at going back to that. Like owning a luxury car, then walking to the shops, with a limp and hole in your shoe. I have an old reel to reel that's OK to saturate a vocal take as an effect. But the idea of going back to tape 'warmth' leaves me cold. The kid who bought it was in his 20's, said he was going to use it for loops. One man's trash is another man's treasure...

[@EspenKraft]

Sure, I get what you mean. I don't use tape on an every day basis of course, but once in a while it can get some good ideas going and using old techniques for an hour or so is always rewarding to me. ;-)

[@the_JTowny]

@@EspenKraft I think it's cool to look back on, especially if you're relatively new to this and not old enough to remember when it was that or nothing. 😁 It did force some creative decisions at times though, I'll give it that. I enjoyed the speeded up and edited version you did. I got the nostalgia fix without the pain. We thank you for your service 🇺🇸 🤝

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@franklucas9313]

i had a tascam 244 in the old days. later I bought a toneworks PXR4 which looks similar but tiny and uses smart media card. it's not the same as the tascam but watching this video makes me want to dust that off and do some 4 track old school recording of my own :)

[@Mute67]

The tape speed trick is how you can overcome/bypass the Emulator II fixed sampling rate (27.777kHz) and sample sounds with high frequency content e.g. cymbals, piano, etc. Record the sound to tape at high speed and then play it back into the sampler at half speed; choosing one octave lower as sampling key/note. Then transpose the sound one octave up.

[@Lets-Drone-With-Bone]

Brilliant video as normal, I was completely glued to watching these last 2 with the tascam, love the old school way. I've been after a 424 for ages, i love how 9n this model you can slow the tape down, great for drone music. Keep up the great work :-)

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks Wayne! :D

[@Substance242]

My first porta Tascam was the minidisc one, and I didn't know about this sequencer syncing with "modem" sounds, interesting! Also thanks for directing me to The Making of 10cc's "I'm Not in Love". I was introduced to this kind of mixing by Alessandro Cortini in NIN live, nice to know it was already invented a few years ago. :-)

[@EspenKraft]

I know that video. 10CC did it in 1975. ;-) Cheers

[@DaraM73]

Days of work bouncing and overdubs, just for the tape to end up in the Melody Maker’s office “Bin of Demos”

[@EspenKraft]

I know the feeling :P

[@187onasimp]

I had one of these back in the day... and I never even knew what sync was... had I know this is what it was for my life would have changed completely... too bad we didn't have youtube back than.

[@EspenKraft]

It was always described in the manual. ;-)

[@rhkavli]

@@EspenKraft Just like now, manuals were for wimps and homeless people. 8-)

[@EspenKraft]

No, it's the opposite. Manuals are for those wanting to know their gear better, wanting to get the best out of it.

[@rhkavli]

Plz don't tell anyone, but I'm actually a wimp too.... ;-) Seriously, most equipment from the 80's is/was totally unusable without a manual. Setting the clock on your VCR, anyone?

[@BinaryBard64]

Woo! Finally, part two is ready!

[@3D6Space]

I used to use some kind of tape synch back in the late 1980's, but I can't remember what it was. I remember that you could start anywhere, and everything was in synch, but if you were using samples of performances, which have a set tempo, changing tempo was near impossible, so i never did it. Also, if the sample was a bar or two long, I used a single 1 or 2 bar note to trigger the beginning and length of the sample, so hitting play a bit after the note and before the end of the sample would not play the sample. To replay a part, I got in the habit of rewinding the tape a couple seconds before the part. It always felt like the tape was "pulling" the sequence of notes along. re: "Striping the tape" - thank you for that. I remember that term now... I have some ancient memories coming to life again. lol

[@lundsweden]

I remember FSK would only sync if you played from the start of the tape. If you stopped, fast forwarded or hit rewind your sync was lost! There was a better system, forgot the name but it did'nt have these flaws! I was recording using this type of setup until about 2005 and I'm sure some people still use multitrack cassette for its lofi charm! I think I used my Roland R-5 drum machine to generate the FSK, but I can't remember for sure!

[@EspenKraft]

Well, I go through all that in this video. ;-.)

[@lundsweden]

Yes, I did watch the whole thing later!

[@midimoog]

FSK/SMPTE is how we all did it back then. The sound of the beep leaking into the other tracks is nostalgic. But to be honest, it's one of the few things I prefer not returning to. ;-)

[@a_nick_t]

After striping the tape I used to put the adjacent track in record mode with zero input and run it all the way through. That cleaned up the leakage. Didn’t have to leave that track empty.

[@RegebroRepairs]

I had a Yamaha MTX-2. I never had problems with leakage. I guess that's just one way that is an awesome machine.

[@jakobole]

Same here

[@EspenKraft]

Sure, I don't use it now either. Tape sync I mean. ;-)

[@frequincyrecording4286]

I recently used a MIDI Man smart sync box to slave my Alesis MMT8 to tape. The smart FSK song position pointers is so much more efficient when punching in the analog elements in different sections of the songs because the time code is generated from the sequencer’s MIDI clock when striping vs the Alesis tape sync. It starts up pretty fast from any position on the tape/song when the transport gets going. Smart FSK was developed by the JL Cooper Company.

[@EspenKraft]

Yeah, there was different kinds of boxes that made it possible to take advantage of FSK, midi time code and stuff like that. I had some as well.

[@scotedavis]

I needed this v😂ideo 30 years ago when I had both the Tascam and mmt8 lol.

[@Kuzushikarma]

Again great video and how you explain old techniques

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@ManCalledMif]

Awesome video Thank you. Got a 424 mkII on the way 😂❤

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@adkywun]

Back then we use smpte to sync midi sequencer all midi sounds will not be recorded to tape but live instruments then we do the mix down to another recorder a lot of works but also a lot of talent and fun

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, as I say in the video, I will show SMPTE in the third video in the series. It'll be here in a couple of weeks. Only with SMPTE did you have total freedom, or as much freedom as tape would give you. ;-)

[@adkywun]

@@EspenKraft Thank you Espen those were the days

[@adkywun]

@@EspenKraft I kind of remember the MC500 can generate a sync to lock tapes.... don't remember if it is smpte...

[@EspenKraft]

It's not. I have one. ;-)

[@adkywun]

@@EspenKraft Thanks

[@WolfgangProductions]

Espen!!, This is So Awesome!!. A Huge Thank you,Thank you!! Is not enough Thank yousss, For Such Great Content Coming From Your Channel :) AWESOME!!!

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks man! :D

[@Allan-et5ig]

Espen Kraft - I have to ask you the billion dollar question (having started with tape myself. I still love it.) Do you think the limitations of tape actually imparted more creativity. The argument - with a smaller palette you were forced to use your musicality, creativity, etc., vs. endless plugins. Very curious to hear your reply.

[@EspenKraft]

The very short answer is yes. The longer, more adjusted answer, is why I made my epic 10 episode, 8 hour video series "A song is born" which you can find here. I go through absolute (and show) how we made a song from scratch in the 80s. With all the techniques and limitations.

[@nishamolakara8427]

Amazing work! Looking forward to watching part 3

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@RegebroRepairs]

The real magic with this is if you got some external mixer, and you could have your drums and synths NOT on tape, and you could use the three tracks for guitars and vocals. I did some songs like that, and I could have an acoustic guitar IN STEREO and vocals recorded. It's a pain, though, because every time you make a mistake you have to start the recording from the start, as I used a 909 to sync, and it's also FSK tape sync. Once I got an 8-track I also got a box with SMTPE sync, then you can start wherever. That was nice, but I only did that for a year or two and then I switched to Ableton Live.

[@EspenKraft]

Yep, that's how we used it. None of the midi tracks were committed to tape, they all went to the mixer and was mixed down during the final mixdown.

[@DonDayglow]

I'm yet to use tape sync on my tascam 688 but might give it a try after this! Thanks!

[@EspenKraft]

Do it. Cheers

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@EspenKraft would smpte signal work instead of fsk on the 4th channel i seen this video and there is free softwear in the link that uses smpte but this is new to me. my 4 track manual only shows fsk to sync. here is the video syncing 4 track to a daw kzbin.info/www/bejne/nICqfK2FhbagmK8

[@donkeyadaml.]

Great performance 👍 Have a wonderful day 😊 Greetings Adam 😎

[@quidsin7091]

Takes me back to the days when I used the sequencer to play three or four keyboards together to record on one track whilst playing a sample at the same time..lol. good fun tho.👍

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@mauriziomauricone]

I'm recording the FSK tape sync from my Dr Bohm Digital Drums on my Alesis HD24XR which in turn is the master for Logic Pro via a JL Cooper DataSync2 via MTC. Works like a charm! I also sync two Behringer TD-3s with the trigger out from the Bohm which in turn I record on the HD24. Imagin the fun I'm having with this hybrid setup haha!

[@EspenKraft]

Cool setup!

[@Novaheart1998]

I have two cassette 8 tracks synced together, a tascam and a TOA. And i have an 8 track mini disc recorder. I may try to sync them all for some weird fun if that is dooable.

[@mrr2816]

Currently in the attic looking for the tascam porta one..

[@LordCritish]

12:00 It has become the perfect Vaporwave-making machine.

[@timpayne7676]

What a fantastic video

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks Tim!

[@sikdrumz5752]

Awesome, thank you!!

[@maurumsynthwave618]

Hola Espen... Esperándote siempre... Excelente video... Saludos

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@bubuAudio]

love this !!!

[@jut8361]

Man this is amazing

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@ingoodmusic]

Priceless vids!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@kennitrochrome6093]

This portastudio is working hard.

[@gcoudert]

We used FSK a lot at the local recording studio where we recorded my friend's songs back in the day. We would record the FSK sync signal from the Roland TR-707 drum machine onto track 16 of the Fostex 16-track machine. This would then drive my Amiga 500 running Dr T's MRS sequencer and allow me to record several pre-sequenced lines from the same instrument (studio time was so expensive then that we were often better off pre-sequencing everything rather than mess up umpteen takes and punch-record all the time). My only non-MIDI instrument was a Juno-60 so that one had to be played by hand. We used track 16 because the signal tended to leak onto adjacent tracks on the (half-inch?) tape. We often ended up wiping both tracks eventually, as they were needed for vocals or overdubs.

[@RecordingStudio9]

I thought before recording, you would set the Sync switch and use the back Sync In RCA to record, so not only you don't hear it being recorded/played back, but dbX also switched off so it won't affect the signal being recorded/played. That's how my Yamaha MT3X 4-track works. Once ttrack 4 is switched to Sync, you don't hear the FSK tone, as well as the recording level set at the correct level.

[@EspenKraft]

There would be very little tutorial value if I didn't show how the sync signal sounds. ;-) As long as the sync works, the way getting there is inconsequential.

[@RecordingStudio9]

@@EspenKraft Totally understood.

[@timweinheimer1]

Wow love it cool trick thanks 😊

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers Tim!

[@MarcoGualtieri]

excellent lesson! I have been learning to use this machine recently. Did you find a solution to the radio noise problem? The inputs are unbalanced I am told, but I still cant get a clean connection with my other gear.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I have no radio noise problem if I use good shielded cables. I also don't use this for any production, it's mostly used for tutorials or as the casual creative booster, to get some ideas going and in that case any minor noise problems wouldn't have bothered me.

[@meneerjansen00]

Your tricks still apply the the "modern incarnations" of this machine: the Tascam DP-004, 006 and 008. Thanks for the tip about automatically starting a machine with sync IN. I didn't know that machines with (analog) Sync waited for the sync signal to start playing. I thought one needed Midi (= digital) start/stop messages for that. A good 'ol analog (audio) sync track is more usefull then you might think. On the DP machines you can bounce 4 tracks at the same time (to track 4). Unfortunately they have only 2 input channels (Left and Right). And the inputs are always output to the stereo output (so you can hear them). That means that if you wat to use a click track (on track 4, played back on the Right output channel) then you can only record one track at the time (from the Left input). This is because the Right _input_ channel is always played back on the Right _output_ channel, together with the click track. No matter if you pan it to the left or right. The pan functionality is only for the "Master" mix.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@chriswareham]

I have the DP-008 and I never thought of using a track for syncing my sequencer! This opens up a whole new world of possibilities - while the whole software DAW and virtually unlimited tracks approach is great in principle, I find it so fiddly and prefer using dedicated hardware.

[@EspenKraft]

The Portastudio was our AAD, the analog audio workstation, not a DAW :P Syncing up like this was a dream, I can still remember the first time.

[@meneerjansen00]

@@chriswareham A lot of people (want to) go DAWless (search the term on YT). It can be costly, but if you've been behind a computer for work the whole day then the last thing you want is to do is sit behind one again after. And clicking and dragging with a mouse is just a horrible "unfeeling" way of making music. Horrible. DAWless is putting the fun back into making/producing music. :) And DAWs are way too complex.

[@chriswareham]

@@meneerjansen00 Sums up my feelings exactly. I spend all day at work programming computers, so I prefer not to use a computer based setup when making music. While modern DAWs are powerful, their user interfaces are absolutely terrible. They often try to mimic physical controls such as knobs that are awkward as an on screen control. The UI hasn't evolved in a good way since Steinberg Pro-24 back in the 1980s!

[@mvoproject]

11:03 V a p o r w a v e is detected =))) Espen, you better to add the "Making of Vaporwave" at the title and this video will became bomb! Very cool creative porta-studio - lots of fun! Such a tatsy pad drift at the 17:06 - one of my fav.

[@EspenKraft]

I reject the whole term "Vaporwave". I make synthpop. The term "Vaporwave" is just a word invented by hipsters. I mention hipsters in this video. ;-)

[@mvoproject]

@@EspenKraft ok, no problem)) But actually it sounds here just like that strange web-punk style))

[@decaystar]

Would be interesting to see something similar with Reel-to-reel :)

[@EspenKraft]

Lucky for you (as I tease explicitly in both videos) part 3 will be just that. ;-)

[@AndersEngerJensen]

15:20 Hainbach says hi. ^_^

[@EspenKraft]

I edited out the line where I mention the hipster beard. ;-)

[@bromy2251]

Great video. Does this work with any sequencer? I always thought you needed a separate midi tape sync device to do this. nvm just finished the video. apparently any sequencer with tape sync on it will do this. good to know

[@EspenKraft]

As long as the sequencer has "tape sync" yes. But compared to SMPTE it's primitive, so watch part #3 for how that works. Then you have to have a that device you're speaking of. Cheers

[@FLH3official]

Nice Vostok... 😉 (an Amphibia, I think but I don't recognize the "ministry" case, the lugs are different, nor the classic round case) A guy who likes old synths and watches cannot be bad. (and if you like vintages cars..) Oh, yes, BTW, nice an cool video, one of these days I'll surely should grab one on those portastudios. I've never had one of these in the old days, I was already working "in the box" (sequencer>mixing desk>stereo tape)

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! It's a vintage (80s of course) Vostok Komandirskie paratrooper. I'll soon appear in a very classic 80s car as well, but I doubt you'll be able to guess what model. ;-)

[@FLH3official]

@@EspenKraft "Komandirskie paratrooper." OK thanks for the info. To be honnest I've gave up with the watches 10 years ago, too expensive if you can't focus on vostok & seiko divers only... Let us (me) know about your vintage car. But I guess it will not be a SAAB or a Volvo, it would be too obvious! 😉 (and I love saab 900 and volvo 240!)

[@EspenKraft]

Vostok, Seiko, Orient and some others are still fun to get once in a while though. ;-) I don't have the time to engage in this former passion of mine anymore so no point in spending a lot of cash.

[@chloedevereaux1801]

i had a 644..... so much more flexable, miss it lots.

[@Klangraum]

Good simple technology, which basically don't break the rules of standard audio cassettes 2 x stereo = 4 channels mono with special head.

[@sauermusicDE]

That slow speed function has probably been used on a lot of "Vaporwave" tracks.

[@EspenKraft]

I think most of "that" is done with plugins. ;-)

[@Synthetic-lt4ed]

Can I go from midi > Tascam MTS-30 > Roland R8 ? I do not need the tape involved in this case, just the R8 to start and go with the tape sync tempo.

[@EspenKraft]

I have no idea.

[@TheLordcasio]

Put them kids in their place!

[@processionsband]

I wonder if the modern MPC’s are capable of doing this 🤔

[@44Activa]

Is there any way I can sync the tracks with a Technics M260 and a DAW? Theoretically, I think that some auto-align plugin might do it if I align the tape version of the take to its original digitally recorded counterpart, but in practice I'm not so sure...

[@EspenKraft]

No.

[@davidreidy5750]

After bouncing can I just start overdubbing track 1 to 3?I see you started overdubbing at track 3 down.

[@EspenKraft]

Track 4 is reserved for sync, that can never been touched. What order you overdub for the rest of the tracks is up to you.

[@chloedevereaux1801]

mmmm smpte.... society of motion picture and television engineers........... time code locking audio, :D

[@doublebass]

if you make a tape loop it makes the hipster trick easier

[@EspenKraft]

That would almost make me a hipster. Thank you no. ;-)

[@anderslarsson6149]

👌🏻

[@mallorca1guy]

how did you get that beautiful pad sound? wich synth is that?

[@EspenKraft]

I both say and show it, it's the Roland JX-8P. ;-) Cheers

[@mallorca1guy]

@@EspenKraft oh man I apologize, i think i wasnt paying attention... thank you!

[@EspenKraft]

No problem. :)

[@chloedevereaux1801]

i used to like recording something on one side of the tape and then flipping it over it plays backwards then sampling it........... :D

[@romino666]

@EspenKraft if you can explain how the Alesis ADAT can work with your songs ?

[@EspenKraft]

That's not answered in a flash.

[@romino666]

@@EspenKraft Sorry

[@EspenKraft]

I'm hopefully doing a video on the subject next year.

[@xisotopex]

is it possible to sync two portastudios to each other?

[@EspenKraft]

Short answer: No.

[@jadanoliver6237]

I don't think of any of this as retro. Maybe my age talking here. I just know I can get a lot of interesting sounds from certain gear. I think the 80s was futuristic and modern and I didn't feel that way about grunge or the 90s. AM I alone here? But I am also a musician and play a whole lot of different music. Is this really retro? I think the recording quality on this was great.

[@lundsweden]

Its true the 80s are back, yes 2021 is more influenced by the 80s than the daggy old 90s!

[@jadanoliver6237]

@@lundsweden I am looking at some of the descriptions , and the term retrofuturism comes up. Now I am a keyboardist and like other keyboardist I want power. I just found that there is a lot of power in 80s style or 80s synths. I think plug ins have come a long way, especially ones I can load original sysex files into and get the sound on the computer. But there are other technologies that aren't easily replaceable. Tascam 4 track recorder can be used still now. And while reel to reel moved away , I think it is still viable if not preferable. An OBXa is still capable of doing "modern" work and other styles that are great. Depeche Mode and the samplers that were used are vintage but still wanted today. Information Society just released a new album. Do you see what I am pointing at. And from studying music (including classical) saying the 80's is retro is a bit misleading . technically it is true in one sense but isn't in a whole lot more senses. Most new wave bands at the time they were producing music (The Cars, Gary Numan all the way to Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure) All thought of what they were doing was modern and futuristic. Gary Numan is cool now. And that Information Society new record is very much worth listening too.

[@EspenKraft]

80s and 90s gear, for that matter are vintage. The gear itself can only be vintage. The technique, workflow is "old school", while "retro" is in my opinion a word used wrongly in most cases, to describe everything over a certain age.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I can see your "Hipster" technique being useful for a mono synth but for a poly synth you can just play the chord and record it

[@EspenKraft]

It's not really synths this technique is useful for, I just used that as an example. It's way more useful and lush with vocals. In any case, recording a poly synth is not the same. You want the different notes on each track of the tape fading in out with flutter, hiss and all the different artifacts. Only then will you gain the beauty of this technique. ;-)

[@AndrewAHayes]

@@EspenKraft Ah i see its usefulness now

[@franklucas9313]

NIN uses the hipster trick :)

[@FunkyFlo]

haha hihi SMPTE sounds a bit like the modern SMTP = Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, Internet Mailserver, Postfix & so ;-) ;-)

[@wul01]

Oh no, I’m gonna have to dust off my tascam 688 now

[@eancurtis9333]

How do u set the bpm ?

[@EspenKraft]

Like I say in the video, the tempo is set from the start, on the sequencer.

[@fritagogo1]

Old School = After 50 years ...

[@EspenKraft]

I AM 50+ ;-)