Making a Beat BUT I Pretend It's 1985 And I Don't Have a CPU

Jay Diggs goes on a time-traveling music production adventure! In this video, jay takes you back to the golden era of music recording and audio production. An age when computers were yet to revolutionize the way we make beats. Let's take a look at analog music production and explore the techniques used to make hits that we all know and love without the aid of modern-day CPUs.
⏱️Timestamps⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:52 MPC 60 a 40 year old Drum Machine!
01:30 The Drums
3:10 The Bassline and Keys
4:36 The Brass
5:39 The Tape Machine
7:40 Recording Reverb in a Hallway and Effects
9:15 I Get ANGRY!
11:00 The Finished Beat!
Check Out More Videos From My Beatmaking Series:
• Making a Beat BUT I Pr...
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Products and Gear Used in this video
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Oberheim OBX8 Synthesizer ➡︎ amzn.to/3Odznpo
Sony ZV-E10 Camera ➡︎ amzn.to/3OwlP9U
Rode Wireless Pro II Microphone ➡︎ amzn.to/44WOJFw
Amaran 100d Video Light ➡︎ amzn.to/3DwLg4W
RGB LED Lights ➡︎ amzn.to/3Yp1N4J
#beatmaking #musicproducer #musicproduction

[@alchemistrpm82]

I’m not gonna talk about how the first machine you use in your 1985 video is an MPC from 1988, because I love this video. Do your thing and bring us more of this

[@jasonnesmith9482]

That bugged me right away. No digital machines and it’s 1985. Now here’s a digital machine from 1988. But it’s still fun watching him work.

[@castaneasounds]

Haha

[@JimBReay]

A Linn 9000 would have been the 1985-legit version, and it worked somewhat similarly…. For playing those samples and sequencing three lines, it would have done the trick.

[@juxty3102]

I was going to say the same thing about the MPC60 and that it wasn't released until 1988.

[@like-icecream]

Lets just say he bought all the gear in 1985 but was in a coma for 3 years

[@RobWill5864]

It's tedious, but it actually looks more fun than producing music with all the features of todays DAWs.

[@DanlowMusic]

I wouldn't say it's more fun, because you get hella stressed when it's not matching up or you've had to hit record 5 dozen times. But the creativity (at least for me) and the finished product was so much more rewarding feeling wise. You really feel like you accomplished something.

[@RobWill5864]

@@DanlowMusic makes sense

[@jasonhuttermusic424]

what do you think about the quality of the final mix of tape vs digital?@@DanlowMusic

[@johnkaplun9619]

It is

[@DanlowMusic]

@@jasonhuttermusic424 from the tapes I had to use, digital. But if had some better recording equipment it might have had a little more depth feeling to the music.

[@techniquezz]

I was born in 68 and ran a music store in Kuwait where we grew up to this beat. You asked a name for the track, I'd name it Cool Ends. Great video, took me back in time. Keep it up

[@ponternal]

Crazy how accessible it is to make music now compared to the past

[@jake100xx]

Thats why there's so much crap music getting popular. Social media influencers have replaced actual hard working musicians. Industry is full of fakes like DJ Khalid and Drake, nobody knows how to write an actual song anymore.

[@haro82]

You're not kidding. You used to need a lot of money to be able to afford synth, drum machine, sequencers etc. Then to record you'd have to pay to go to a studio. It's unreal what can be done now with a laptop and midi controller. I come from the earlier days so I definitely appreciate it every day.

[@markherrisrangodeley7679]

​@@haro82 The one above said....the same thing.

[@tylerthompson1842]

Come on now.. you need to make a series out of this. I wanna see 70’s, 90’s and 00’s

[@jaydiggsmusic]

You read my mind!

[@rgdec74]

Skip ‘00s.

[@JohnJohnsFishing]

@@rgdec74How come?

[@DanteComerComer]

Why stop there? SHOW ME THE 10's AND 20's 😤 If one can make music from the past, one can make music from the future.

[@DanteComerComer]

@@JohnJohnsFishingAaaaaaaaaaaaand no reply!

[@LuisDonado]

You got the sound and style perfectly just like I remember it in the 80s. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference if I heard this.

[@MatthewYates1]

Facts!!! It really reminds me if the SOS Band. Songs like "The Finest," and "No One's Gonna Love You."

[@optimisticmindz2545]

Yes it sounded really good

[@DutchFunkenstein]

@@MatthewYates1 definitely that Jam & Lewis vibe for sure. Reminded me of Loose Ends and SOS Band as well indeed.

[@eskaye3064]

Bruh cookin up hits😂💯💯💯💪🏾

[@GregNice-mu6uq]

I could, I'm a big 80s R&B fan and I'd say its a bit dry and missing the gated reverb to make it sound bigger and a bit more percussion for variation and needs an interesting bridge as a release and a few chord inversions and extensions to hold the interest and some guitar plucks, not a bad effort.

[@back2the80s6]

This method definitely would bring out more creativity in many artists. Older doesn't always mean worse, and new doesn't always mean better. Great video.

[@assassin8636]

New does mean better sometimes

[@averywow]

definitely easier for me to do synths on a physical midi synthesizer but I'd kms if I had to make music in the 90's without serum ngl

[@prodby.gyxrms]

Lmao​@@averywow

[@MusicbyBlanks]

this was incredible!!

[@jaydiggsmusic]

Thank you! Love your videos too, been watching for a while

[@YourBoyDonald]

Indeed!

[@DJ_Williams]

I was born in the late 60’s…so I’ve got to experience several decades of music and by far the 80’s were my favorite era…you’ve hit that mark high. Thanks for the memories. Now I’ve gotta find a bottle of aquanet 😂

[@itsreallypola1332]

man i wish i was a part of the 80s-90s. the music and culture seems a lot more rich and just overall better rather than now.

[@bestmusic9399]

Aquanet 😂😂😂 i rembemer it

[@africkinamerican]

​@@itsreallypola1332 You are right

[@enshen2190]

@@itsreallypola1332it’s always been the same. The music industry was always weird and greedy and horrible, so there’s still plenty of music that’s been out recently that is mind blowing. Check out In Rainbows by Radiohead, it may not be your cup of tea, but it’s almost a truly perfect LP

[@whiteblue3576]

@dj_williams I think the era in which you were a teenager will be your favorite. I have over a thousand songs on my playlist from the 1900s to the present from all across the world. I think we are in the best Era of music in terms of sound and the possibilities but the worst in terms of diversity within the various genres. It feels like once you've heard one song from a genre, you've heard them all. Maybe it has always been that way but now it really seems more exacerbated.

[@kingpoop2471]

That's straight-up 80s Smooth Groove! Thats some Anita Baker, SOS Band, Billy Ocean vibes.

[@Gambito99100]

I immediately thought of SOS Band, it also reminded of Loose Ends

[@michaeljones3604]

Right! Str8 SOS Band vibes! With Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis on production! 😄💯

[@carolinafluteman6598]

Along with Whitney Houston, New Edition and Herbie Hancock

[@Neimm]

anita baker nahh

[@parapalepiped7181]

And dont forget about Paul Hardcastle

[@haro82]

This shows why you have to have respect for the producers back then. There was no time stretching, auto syncing etc. Some of those dance mixes from back in the day are impressive for what the tech was. I remember when it was a big deal to be able to sample for 5 seconds!

[@AceWav]

You're literally the first person to show me what a tape machine does, how it's used. Also, never knew about the hallway reverb method! And this was very informative and fun to watch!

[@JasonOsbornePhotography]

The simple fact that you have the knowledge to properly operate this vintage gear is impressive…dope video and beat, Bruno Mars would go ham on it

[@dazastathagreat]

I said the same thing soon as it came on I heard Bruno🔥

[@joeaverage3444]

For somebody who wasn't around in 1985, you have an incredible ear for that kind of sound. 🙂 I was 11 in 1985, and I remember very vividly what pop music was like back then. You've absolutely nailed it with this performance. This could have played on the radio in '85 and nobody would have guessed that it was from a guy more than 35 years in the future.

[@africkinamerican]

His parents probably played 80s music all the time...

[@conrads519]

its almost as if there is technology that allows us to listen to music that was recorded at an earlier time!

[@obakengkokwe4242]

Back to the Future, in the past

[@joeaverage3444]

@@conrads519 That isn't necessarily how you develop an ear for what is the essence of the sound of a certain era. It takes some insight to "get" what mid-80s music was about, in a way that goes beyond slapping together some drum machine beats and laying down some synth pads.

[@Flatlandproductionz]

Agreed

[@dopaulovlog]

80’s music was better because it required a lot of knowledge to operate and compose. It was really necessary to have skill and talent. You nail it!

[@floridian4072]

I was hoping to see this comment. Needs to be pinned

[@REASONKEV]

That was really dope. I was born in '77, so this takes me back to my childhood. I love that 80s synth vibe! Great job! 💪🏿

[@oholm09]

I'm a musician so I can bring the 80s sounds back to life

[@ASMRChess]

Criminally underrated channel. Amazing content.

[@BillVincent]

Hi Jay! This weekend marks my sixtieth time around the sun on this planet, and your smile and your video just made my day and started the weekend off right. I was one of those guys who did exactly what you did in this video back in the 80's. I created my songs then by sequencing everything first on a midi sequencer and drum machine and then going into the 16 track analog studio and dumping tracks and doing vocals. No autotune! 😰 A day in the studio then would cost $500 per day. I planned everything right down to smoke breaks - LOL! I still retain a lot of the lessons and tricks I learned then to today's home studio. And my music still sounds like it's from the 80's/90's - but hey... they say write what you know. And I do. Peace to you Jay, thanks for a trip down memory lane!

[@jaydiggsmusic]

Wow, I wish i could have been a fly on the wall and watch you work back then. thank you for sharing!

[@beatsbyjc]

Happy Birthday Bill! I still have most of my analog gear from the 80’s and 90’s. My wife asked me do you still need all that stuff and for years and the answer is always yes. It’s coming back now. The one time I could tell her I told you so. 😂😂😂

[@MatthewYates1]

😂😂😂

[@kellcoleStyleEnt]

Make more videos

[@KineticEV]

I lived it. We used to sample on Casio keyboards, 8 and 24 track machines. It was rough but we managed. Now you can use good digital machines, and mix them in with high quality piano/synths and also mix in and edit with Fruity Loops, Reason and other apps. Back then it was hard to sample some pieces of music but now you can sample large chunks. Your song has a Bruno Mars - 24k Magic vibe going on.

[@djceejaay]

I’m an 80s music freak! You did tha damn thang! Name the track “Cali Coast Swingin” reminds me of when I was stationed in Cali back in 1989 😎🤙🏽✌🏽

[@jdturner]

I'm usually a heavy metal guy but this was absolutely awesome. Would love to see more like this.

[@mraza9]

Dude metal and 80s synth music go together like PB and Jelly! Love both !

[@DJSockmonkeyMusic]

I also love pop and metal.

[@cardbored_]

That Adidas windbreaker was straight flames 🔥🔥 I would say the vast majority of modern "producers" would not be able to survive without the simplicity of the software DAW, Plugins etc. MOST producers lack fundamental understanding of production and just mimic current trends.

[@jaydiggsmusic]

Thank you! i love the colors on it. Yup, the old school production style is very immersive and fun but gotta love the speed of using software.

[@ProdbyBarryB]

you don't know what you don't know. Thats why channels like this exist to provide a spark hopefully it catches on. I wouldn't down them because they don't know any better though, just encourage them.

[@cardbored_]

@@ProdbyBarryB agreed bro

[@GVike]

The dude even used bass and guitar, and I have a feeling most modern producers wouldn't even know how to play them.

[@sanches2]

true

[@strauqq1]

This was dope as hell. Man 80's and 90's was the best!!

[@rickywilliams7961]

Dude. You're absolutely amazing! You've Taken me back to those great epic bands like SOS BAND, MIDNIGHT STAR, ATLANTIC STAR, Loose Ends etc. BRAVO!👏👏👏👏

[@Kevinschart]

most music back then was within bands or with a group of musicians. especially during the early stages of learning to make music. so you had less technology, but you had peers that helped you craft your best ideas.

[@africkinamerican]

Less technology, more creativity

[@DbugII]

Technically, if you go back to 1985, you could have had an Atari ST with a built-in MIDI connectors, and as early as 1986 you could have used quite a few programs, including "Pro 24" from Steinberg and "The Music Studio" from Activision. So not that bad really! Then a few years later you get Cubase, Notator/Creator, etc...

[@Noway673]

I just saw this video for the first time on 10-27-23 around 3:30am and I'm a 80's kid at age 10yrs-20yrs old 1980-1989.I grew up on all musics of that time.When you put together that 80's sound you created I was vibing with a large smile😊 on my face and was boping my head big time.I was feeling it.Not bad at all for a 90's new born.Do more of these.Im 54yrs old now and a ex-Dj from 1980'-2004.

[@Neimm]

it’s like the Gap Band, SOS band, and Loose Ends. I really love old school 80s music

[@captaindestructo1910]

The limitations of yesteryear's technology helped to improve the overall quality of music during that time period. It served to gatekeep the music industry to only those who were true musical genuises.

[@johnbazy]

Stupidest thing I've read in a while... People used to have to always pay insane amounts of money to go into studios with recording engineers. Then as equipment got slightly more affordable (like the stuff shown in this video) recording got less difficult which led to how things are now. It's never been the "quality" that decides if you get to make music, it's how much money do you have to record and how much money will your music make afterwards.

[@oscaritoD]

😂😂clearly they havnt played vice city... a whole sattire on how synthesisers mean now "anyone can make music just from the touch of a button".

[@kristoferkristensen9021]

The transition from present day to 1985 was very well done!

[@user-hg9yi8nv2i]

Damn, this is some really well-made, well-shot, well-lit, well-edited content here. Bravo!. That beat is dope! Them keys really brought it to life.

[@M-Guitars]

Great video, great result. And the production quality...dude.

[@davidclough8671]

The thing that I remember most about the '80s is how it took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do what today you can do more quickly on a good laptop for under five grand. Bouncing tracks on tape lol! Watching this brought back some serious PTSD. Thank you for sharing this interesting trip down memory lane.

[@benkeys2702]

Hey Jay! I am a musician and Engineer from the 80s through to now. I used and own much of the equipment you are using. With the MPC60, there was an optional SMPTE port(simp-tee). We would use that port to lock time with tape machine to record or overdub in perfect time. You would have to sacrifice one of your tracks for a SMPTE time code though. Diggin your 80s vibe!! Keep doing IT!!

[@jayt-mac2074]

Wow, man! I wished some of us could connect!

[@dralithi]

I knew SMPTE time codes were used for television & movie scoring, since you can accurately sync up to whatever is happening on-screen, but I never knew how that data was stored on the tape, so that's really interesting.

[@TheCityIzLitty]

⁠@@dralithiRoland SBX80 was a popular device which bridged that gap. Much of the A/V field was still an undefined market in 1985 so companies made gear that wouldn’t fall into obsolescence or obscurity as things began to be defined. Constant Innovation is amazing however so is foresight. Modern Music Production provides an opportunity for people to “achieve” things quicker however the past eras required actual dedication to the craft and passion for true innovation based on extensive research and knowledge rather than duplicating someone else’s creativity and churning out whatever You can as quickly as You can. Tape can be annoying but computers just really kill the vibe not just in the Studio in general. People were more creative in the eras where computers weren’t so ubiquitous and design engineers knew how endless the possibilities really were. Once You understand electronics it’s like speaking another language. The founders of apple used to make Hack Boxes for folks in the UK to make free Ling distance phone calls it was pretty much just a bunch of pulses at different frequencies SMPTE timecode is similar and is an acronym for “SOCIETY OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION ENGINEERS”. Technically AES is the society for audio engineers BUT without audio what is any TV or Motion Picture broadcast? Hence why SMPTE was a common option on many pieces of professional audio gear for yesteryear. MIDI timecode and MIDI CLOCK were the other standards, boxes like the ROLAND SBX 80 would convert the signals so You could keep whatever You needed to in sync; typically SMPTE from the tape would be the master clock and You would sync the box to that and then slave Your MIDI sequencer to the box so You could track like that or just playback etc. not exactly obsolete as people still use hardware but DAWS deal with timecode and sync pretty differently so it’s really less of an issue now even if youre overdubbing in a DAW you can just nudge or edit whatever if you need to back in the tape days that was not a possibility so proper sync was of major importance. Another use for SMPTE with MIDI gear was with phrase samplers like the S950; often comps of BG vocals and choruses would be bounced to samplers and then triggered to play at the needed sections in order to cut down on recording time and for a more consistent result. This made it easy for a song to have a repeating chorus or an extended club version etc. SMPTE is great. Still used on Film and TV sets. Worldwide standard I think in Britain their code is based on 50hz and they shoot at some different frame rates but it’s really becoming more and more of a single standard with everything being done on computers or if there are any regional differences the software mitigates whatever the would be issues.

[@ryanjay6241]

Yep, I wasn't around for that era but have a collection of MPCs, and that's even a solution today (most MPCs have SMPTE sync) - though these days you can just MIDI sync to your DAW (I believe MTC is basically MIDI encoded SMPTE? vs MIDI beat clock which operates differently?), some DAWs like Cubase actually have a SMPTE generator plugin, that can output SMPTE onto a channel, which you can still sync the MPC to, but it's a lot more tricky to get right (if you don't get your levels in the correct range everything breaks). But from what I heard, as you said, back in the day they'd often record SMPTE to a tape track to be able to re-lock the machines, especially in the early hip-hop days when the tracks were mostly multiple samplers.

[@KeysBeMe]

Groove has that “You got me hangin on a string now” by the group Loose Ends. Great work in emulating that 80’s sound!

[@breezycartel]

This video is amazing! More of this for sure. I think this is a great way to bridge the gap between then and now!

[@VQSeries]

Definitely do more vids like this, really cool, and also enjoyable beats creations to go along with it too!

[@blueg8731]

I miss making music in the 80s. You had to be creative given all the (expensive) limitations. Excellent video.

[@GregNice-mu6uq]

You had to have a lot more skills than most people realise, for starters a lot of it was played live so you had to know how to play well, know your scales, chords, progressions and modes.

[@thebigpowwow]

Don't miss your complete calling! You could easily produce TV/Film content. You mind thinks in stories. Dope entertaining video!👍🏾✊🏾

[@chemistryrussell]

This video and the editing is amazing. Made my day!

[@GaryTheTreb]

This is one of the best videos iv ever watched on youtube, loved the tape process in particular

[@sanches2]

Maaan this was legit 80s vibe. I was born in 1981 so i almost remember the original songs with those beats and synths. Loved it! by the way i spent my childhood in the theater my dad was working in and i spent most of my time in the audio studio. To make a proper delay they used to run the tape on record on one deck and then ran the loop to another which was a couple of feet aside which played it back and they mixed both. The echo chamber was a big steel plate in a wooden crate with a mic in it. They had Studer 24 track tape decks as well as Revox 8 track ones. Iloved playing with the tech when the studio tech allowed me :) Greetings from Bulgaria.

[@eseoraka]

Cool stuff 🎉

[@dreemdubz]

bro that sounds cool af

[@ericdavis2790]

😂😂😂that was me in 1987 Harlem rooftop records😂😂😂😂😂. Love the recreation brother!! On point!! My setup is hybrid now old and new 😂😂😂😂 Dope Video 😂😂😂

[@YouTubesurfer-310]

Could I listen to some of your work I would really love to cause now I'm dry on creativity

[@MeloGbeats]

Dope video! Watched from top to end 🔥

[@RocketScienceMusic-vk7ne]

Love this! Brilliant video and loving the track! Smooth as! Great work sir.

[@Polk]

Your production values are insane, always love the 80s video effects. Hope you produce professionally in some capacity

[@izimedia]

Is this amateur?

[@cvltzilla]

this is a pro job.

[@izimedia]

@@cvltzilla thats what I mean!

[@DavidAndTheDummies]

He should've did the whole video in '85

[@TronciM]

This guy is definitely a pro producer, and he's a musician too

[@SimplyElan]

This sounds like Kashif , SOS Band and Loose Ends all in one song. I love it! You did an excellent job ✨✨🎶🎶

[@Flatlandproductionz]

Kleer

[@meirisrael1728]

Yep, that's it. Wasn't he supposed to make his own song from the 80s. Not remaking what's been done already

[@jazzadn]

My wife and I literally said the same thing!

[@mariuspoppFM]

​@@meirisrael1728he did, no samples here

[@skeezix8156]

And a little Gap band in there

[@edh7492]

Just found the channel and this is right up my street. Very impressed by your knowledge and ability with the drum machines etc. Subscription earned 🤜🤛

[@izziOnBass]

Hey man this is a really great production! so fun to watch! and professionally done!

[@InvestmentJoy]

Been following you forever, great to see this video do so well! This was a incredible video!

[@GHCMargarita]

Interesting to see you here didn’t expect that 😂

[@paulmark992]

How is the carwash and the laundromat doing? And the vending machines?

[@LegendaryArchiver]

Hey bro can you help me turn 7.33£ into $100.000.000,00? I would kind of appreciate it a little bit.

[@DutchFunkenstein]

Recreating that Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis vibe I hear.. Perfectly executed!!

[@CharliesMaidenCovers]

good content man. really interresting to see how it was done back then. id love to see more

[@uplift321]

Great stuff man. Enjoyed that

[@lexmusiclab]

Even the modern day MPCs are a lot to wrap your head around, so I always applaud anyone who can cook with a retro one. Dope video fam, I dig the experiment/exploration type tutorials 🔥🔥

[@lady_of_the_funk]

I’m glad to remember the 80s thoroughly. I’m a proud GenXer that was school aged during this time. This reminds me of the 87/88 era of music, as I remember hearing these riffs in music from Angela Wimbush, the System, and a few other artists. I like that sweat jacket he rocked, as I had one in the late 80s, along with a pair of Pumas. Nice video! Took me back to when I was growing up!

[@omar_s]

Love these kind of beats, so fresh, so playa. Props bro! 👊 🙏

[@trepke2849]

This is amazing. Finally someone is explaining the process :) your best video yet

[@divinesoul7]

In the words of Theo Huxtable, this song is “jamming on the 1”. After using computers for 9 hours a day for work and then using a DAW, I really want to create a dawless setup. In spite of the issues you encountered, it just looks more fun to create this way. I think the limitations are what made a lot of the older music nostalgic and timeless. I mean that along with good songwriting and musicianship. This was a dope video for sure.

[@GVike]

And imagine when cats didn't even have MIDI to connect and sync the devices...

[@StreetFighter2010]

"I... I.. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!"

[@dee1380]

less computer, more u, more life..

[@barryschwarz]

Hey! My song title offer was Jam the Groove. There's already a song called Jammin on the Groove (I looked it up - Mantronix on the 808, baby), and your quote there and my title are circling the vibe.

[@0miyage]

Cool sound bro ! A bit of a "Boogie Down" and a "The Message" Vibe here 👍🤘😍🤩☑️

[@djchino774]

Great video. That's some real talent right there. Subscribed!

[@mubafaw]

Solid vibes, sonics and inspiring !!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Much respect to you champ!!!!!

[@Kellcole32]

Making beats back then wasn’t that easy keep up good work bro

[@olchris8254]

Great video, definitely love how you create and give your audience the learning aspect too. God bless you and please give us more videos like this😊

[@jayvee2163]

man this video is dope, and its my 1st time watchin this video and see how you put it down, ive been playing piano since i was a kid and then in the 90s i started to become a dj and i started makin beats back in late 90s on a down low. im always like to learn something new everyday and this one ya did real nice!

[@SheldonBird]

This was very eye-opening! I like how you didn't do the 80's aesthetic in a cheesy, surface-level way. It felt very authentic to the "time travel experience" of being in the 80s lol I definitely subscribed after seeing this

[@dave57945]

Brother you just are a funky bass playing dope producer, I'm very impressed with your skills and talent, nothing but Gods blessing to you.

[@matchhup589]

I wasn’t even lookin for this dope video my guy definitely got a new subscriber

[@SkyscraperSFO]

First video of yours I've seen, ever! Fell in ❤️ subscribed and 👍

[@matthewarrowsmith9022]

Fantastic video! As a 50 year old muso who has a soft spot for the 80's, I found it really interesting to see you interact with the old tech. You've inspired me.

[@fytstaff4570]

LOVE THIS! But we used to just record a SMPTE code to 1 track and use it to trigger the MPC. Everything just plays live.

[@jesusneverexisted300]

I remember SMPTE code.

[@GVike]

SMPTE... I think I heard that term on a video where Steve Lukather explains how he helped Quincy Jones to finish Beat It. Something about a sync issue and re-recording parts...

[@jesusneverexisted300]

@@GVike SMPTE was a timecode that was laid on your recorder (reel to reel or 4 track recorder) or your sequencer that kept your hardware instruments in sync with your recorder or sequencer. It was used so that if you wanted to rewind or fast forward the sequencer or recorder, you hardware instruments will fall in line with where ever you ended up in the rewind or fast forward. Nowadays because of computers, you don't need SMPTE (unless you're trying to sync your DAW to a reel to reel) but back then you needed it because computers were not a part of the production process.

[@poofygoof]

SMPTE is how I used my ASQ10 and 8-track. After you've got a new tape aligned, stripe a SMPTE track and then you can bounce and lay down additional sequenced tracks as desired, or even add sequenced tracks at mixdown time. One of these days I'd like to build cables to get my tape deck to chase a DAW or synchronize multiple decks together, but you can do plenty with 7 audio tracks.

[@fytstaff4570]

@@poofygoof Yup

[@nordberserker1591]

NGL this is fantastic, I really enjoy analog synth in its many forms. Definitely subbed!

[@luap89]

First vid of yours ive seen - liked subbed NICE ONE MATE!

[@remyjune4518]

Bro I love this man. It’s amazing that you can show us youngins the way it used to be. Your exploring videos are really fun. Please don’t stop making content.

[@georgiagalaxy]

True :)

[@asabovesobelowas]

I'm a 80's baby, 90's raised me. Just a little something haha. That beat is a time machine. Beautiful funky beat brotha. Salutations ✊🏿

[@darriketgivan6301]

Took me back bruh! Awesome sounds and techniques and I love it!

[@MiraiSoundsWaves]

Such an awesome video!! 🫶✨

[@CallMeMicahT]

It shows you how much skill it took to actually make music back in the day.

[@taraz02]

it still takes skill, lets put you in front of ableton with a midi controller and see how well you can do

[@CallMeMicahT]

@@taraz02 I can show you proof on how well I can do

[@TorontoPopulistConservative]

@@taraz02 It's easy to make something. It's hard to make something good.

[@mickd22]

@@TorontoPopulistConservativeand even harder to get someone to listen to it

[@lukasketner]

I know this must have been difficult, but I think this deserves another installment or two exploring older recording techniques and equipment. Subbed either way :)

[@warrengoguen4835]

I liked this video and the equipment you used. Lol. Even took it back with the windsuit. Love it.

[@fivefandownunder1462]

It’s just magic man and I can’t get enough of this stuff thanks brother unbelievable … take me back to high school with that soundscape

[@arteefranklin2619]

You killed that my boy! I grew up in the 80's and you definitely captured the feeling of that era. I still got a ASR that uses floppy disk just for that vintage flavor. Love it.

[@allancerf9038]

Me too. Less is more. You spend your time writing - and not auditioning.

[@blackiowa]

As a producer this is amazing to see and i know have a new found respect for our founding fathers. This beat is so damn good that bassline is awesome. When grandpa from the Rugrats came out i lost it! Great video man! Subscribed

[@EdgarHaferkamp]

Man this is sooo cool. Wish you the best!

[@dolphone6748]

Damn, this is some really well-made, well-shot, well-lit, well-edited content here. Bravo!

[@dannybrazen]

Dude that was cool. I’ve got a room full of vintage synths (prophet 5, minimoog, Juno 60, pro one, arp odyssey etc) I’d never consider going back to tape though! It was cool to see how much easier it is to produce now. Although Jack White (of the white stripes) said “always be wary of anything that makes things easier, and what compromises you have to accept”. Killer video though

[@Vennwave]

Bro is ROCKING that Prophet-5 and Oberhiem synth! Amazing job my man, you've done a splendid job at analogue beatmaking!!!

[@Kokained]

You tha man big J! Keep on keepin' on!

[@ReadAndReturn]

This and that 90's video! Killed it bro!

[@FeloniousMyronius]

That beat is dope! Them keys really brought it to life👍🏾🔥🔥🔥

[@joelbailey5808]

THIS WAS FLAMES 🔥 LOVE THE WORK YOU PUT IN! AMAZING PRODUCTION!

[@lukasgayer5393]

What an incredible groove! So juicy and catchy! You, sir, know the stuff! :)

[@Spoofsinyourface]

Video got me hyped. Putting on some parachute pants. Kudos to you for having a small catalog on Spotify too. 👍🙌

[@djmeekyoutube]

That was great. I'm a DJ....if I was a DJ in the 80s I'd HAVE TO pay a crew to carry around my big mega crates of records, gargantuan speakers, and I'd spend sooooooo much money building that record collection. There were no record downloads. And the only free music came from big record pools back in the day.

[@OriginalCatfish42]

You're a music genius, amazing feel of rythm, casually playing the keyboard and the guitar and the bass like its nothing and to top it off, mix it all with old tech!!

[@RoughRemarks]

Soooo good! Perfect 80s Vibe allover.🤩

[@NelsonSwampWorldTour]

Watching this gives me even more appreciation for how some of my favorite '80s albums were put together. DAMN. Mad respect to you.

[@RetroRoberino]

This is pretty much one of the coolest videos I've ever watched. You really did it the 80s way! And the song actually sounds really good. Is there a full version of it?

[@garza241]

Damn that sounds good. S.O.S. Band would be proud… You forgot to mention how good that Reel to Reel sounds compared to any computer, laptop sequencer program can do.. Good stuff.. Keep it up!

[@Jg-wd9fw]

That was so cool! Great job!

[@axelgadeyne8988]

Hello, great video, wonderfull beats and techniques, really 80' vibes, love it

[@balkatron1]

Good stuff man! The thing I did like about making music back then was how creative we had to be. Heck, everyone mostly used the same keyboards and drum machines but all sorts of very creative music was made. It forced us to focus on the songs and the message we were trying to communicate.