Modular Synths - Benge explains creating a sequence on a modular syntheziser

Watch as Benge creates modular magic using his amazing stash of vintage and rare, modular synthesizers.

[@markstambaugh3273]

I had the chance to take a weekend course on the Modular Synthesizer in 1973. They had an Arp just like this one. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

[@tluth]

As some seem confused y the musical aspect of this, it should be noted, he is simply showing the process, not a completed composition. Much like showing how to play a pentatonic minor scale on a guitar; that in it self is not music, but is the basis for much music. Benge is showing a few basic techniques in a brief amount of time, that can be employed to create music, nothing more. Browse around, you can see some great finished works online.

[@naoidfpaiourej3299]

What a top bloke. Couldn't think of a better custodian of this wonderful collection. Fantastic video :)

[@synthesizer83]

Wonderful! That honest modular sound without squeezing it through an effect, love it!

[@daverei1211]

It’s amazing that anyone made any music for from this. - the art of the creative engineer with an ear for music….. and infinite time and patience.

[@metalheart16]

I finally understood what a sequencer on an analog synthesizer is, and how it works! This is completely different from sequencing on software, so I was initially confused. Thanks for clearing things up with this concise and clear explanation.

[@jpiekkala]

One of the best and most entertaining instructional videos on modular synthesis.

[@Jasonweckard]

As a person who had no clue how to set up a modular synth system, this was really informative.

[@t3chnod3lic]

What an awesome video. Thoroughly engrossing. That gear is to die for 😋

[@tiagoserodio1694]

This is one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen! Thank you internet!

[@artao5]

very cool vid. Nice to see someone live-working with modular synths. Thanks!!

[@RUGBYmusic]

One of the better videos on youtube thanks futuremusic! I've been following Benge's blog for a while now. It's really cool to get to see in his studio.

[@sgreene123]

Nice collection of rare and powerful instruments. Thank you for the tour.

[@TheDive25]

exactly what I was looking for.. Thanks a million. I love learning the basics.

[@sunburst3353]

There's nothing quite like a bit of knob twiddling! Fantastic mini tour of a beautiful collection ...

[@106rocknroll]

Sweet video. it's awesome to see all of these effects/modulations displayed physically.

[@PhilW222]

Crazy - great to see these old modulars put through their paces!

[@vanfamily44]

Mind BLOWN!!! I'll never be able to hear another electronic arpeggio in music without this visual!!! :)

[@francoisrousseau7893]

i see so much beauty in there - marvelous !

[@AlainHubert]

Great vid! It's nice to see and hear different classic machines.

[@smartti1970]

Astounding results on all Benge ... thanks very much

[@sadiel1]

Fm is amazing for uploading and sharing this. It really helps new producers to understand the use of synths.

[@Wiktorion]

They're part of the mixer console - for example, if you've got an artist in a singing booth, you can communicate with them via the telephone on the mixer.

[@CommunityGuidelines]

Highly satisfying 22 minutes! What strange and wonderous sounds to delight the ears!

[@rufus566]

Loved all the synths, but that crazy Buchla is one unique beast!

[@juthedowser]

An entire wall of inputs and outputs. Love it. :)

[@mixolydian2010]

Nice! Calmly explains and demonstrates features and functions. Oh god i wish i had one of those beauties! Fondly remember making edgar froese laugh with my impressions of their sequencers with my mouth after a gig! Good job Benge!

[@kv3x]

Simply awesome! Wow!

[@KeesieOilcorner]

Amazing to see how these things work.

[@drug.3797]

Thanks for the walk through.

[@homelessballoon]

Nice demo! Modular synthesis seems like a very funny way of creating sequences. The value of the analogue signal becomes very visible!

[@Tiefengrund]

Fantastic Demo of the great machines!!!

[@foolpianist7743]

Your watch was matched to your equipment......awesome!!!!

[@duperdude25]

It's nice to have all these. I spend all day on my modulars working on a patch, and never end up making music because it's so much fun.

[@DavidALucasComposer]

That had my full attention. Thanks !

[@StingrayOfficial]

Thank you Benge for sharing!

[@tsasproject]

very cool! I wish I had a couple of those modulars

[@0Metatron]

My god they sound so good!

[@TheSlowGrowth]

So. Much. Incredibly. Beautiful. GEAR.

[@alonsomelo2429]

Amazing!

[@elforeigner3260]

That’s a huge beast!

[@russellredman4920]

Glad this video is on youtube, the cd in my magazine was all jacked up. glad its on here though because I was looking forward to it, been getting into modular.

[@jimghivizzani5883]

Excellent video!

[@mammothballoon4777]

A fascinating video. This is how magic happens.

[@xpump876]

what a collection!

[@crunchyfrog555]

You and me both! I've used a couple of modulars in my time and they are truly wonderful. All I can realistically do is own synths (and I do have a few). But that's indeed one of the beauties of VSTis - as I've said there are pros and cons.

[@utooberblooper]

you can see were a lot of the original new wave and modern music sounds came from back in the old days,it always annoyed me but watching it be created this way makes it seem much cooler to me now.he is like a creative mad scientist,this is awesome.it definitely is musical,what he is showing you is very raw but the finished,refined products have been heard on many famous recordings im sure.

[@SovereignSDG]

Great video. Thanks. I think it is helpful to have a sequence running to show how the filters sound over time, as well as showing the different characteristics of each synth's additional control features...lol, I guess that is why "Benge" made this demonstration. I like all of those modulars...I think they could all be useful and would be fun to own any of them. I like the experimental approach of the Bucla synthesizer. But the ground thumps with that Serge, and the moog. Filters!

[@ambientpunkandholeinasock9927]

Fantastic

[@HauptmanNase]

Great tutorial thanks for the upload

[@OliverChesler]

Excellent!!

[@jonathanbenge8307]

From one Benge to another, I really enjoyed this video. I have the Behringer eurorack clones of some of these modules and I really enjoy them. I'm sure they aren't the quality of the originals, but they are a fraction of the cost.

[@memetunestudio]

Nice one Jonathan! (I am the Benge in this video 😁)

[@jasonbeatty831]

Love the sound of that Serge.....

[@Andohish]

This is so badass

[@gregg4164]

What a diabolically awesome machine.

[@Backflowz]

Thank you... great video! i love your job...

[@phattieg]

Since I will probably never have the extra money to spend on something like these vintage analog synths, I can only be grateful for the next best thing, Reason. I love being able to connect patch cables to other devices within Reason. It's really handy when you want to make your own instruments/sounds. I would love to have even just one of these synths. Patch cables kick ass!

[@shookstylez]

what about a synthesizers.com system?

[@KenNickels]

Arturia has a v.i. Modular Moog with virtual patch cables.

[@CaalamusTube]

Reason for the win! ( which, although limited... can also interact with my MicroBrute! :] )

[@visheshl]

Yup I've been a reason guy for a long time...it's the next best thing...but those really are nice toys wish I could get them and the space to keep them lol...until then ableton+ reason

[@btrbcomposer]

and now Reaktor has Blocks!

[@landocreamcheese5126]

Some of those machines sound so awesomely dusty! Eargasm!

[@hughvane]

Benge was a manual telephone operator in a previous life ... "number please".

[@olnium]

"So, how many synths do you own?" "Yes"

[@DuochromeFilms]

OMG, I would love to record him messing around, those sounds are just so amazing.

[@therealborischang]

Thank you for the no-BS, ego-free explanation.

[@emmalouie1663]

HAHAHAH This is the coolest thing I have ever seen! I don't understand it but I like it.

[@TheMirageMovement]

This looks like fun!! :D

[@rezfilter]

13:49 the moment he patched a Steinway

[@BossOfAllMer]

I love the sound of analog synths sooooo much!!! It really hurts that I can't afford one...

[@tschak909]

What the e series buchlas have, in comparison to the other synths, is patch memory, in that, each patch connection can have its voltages saved for further recall. You still have to route the signals via cabling however.

[@StingrayOfficial]

The buchla makes some of the best bleepy bloops!

[@SickickMusic]

5:46 ... Ex-Machina! Love this!

[@nadeharry]

amazing

[@tschak909]

The buchla is the oddball of the lot, as it requires TONS of patching to get anything useful out of it, but what you do get, is some of the most amazing modulation possibilities on any synthesizer, the stackable banana plugs REALLY allow you to go bat shit crazy, and you don't need to waste multiples and mixers to route things. The sequencer is also amazingly flexible, and can act in many different ways, not just linear..but you pay through the nose for such wonderful chaos. His setup is $12k.

[@AlexanderRoca]

Cool Video !

[@robjenkins9839]

Good to know that even those with albums out there, just play around to see what happens..!! Now that I watched this, off to listen to the album again.

[@nevek20]

The first beat at 11:21 on it's own was perfect.

[@EL-SHADDAI-ELOHIM]

Awesome

[@akt67]

Jeez! Hard work.

[@MaikSchott]

I love the 3 orange telephones!

[@amorphous14]

I have no idea what he just said but I like the noise!

[@FUTrading]

holy shit this looks like so much fun..

[@MusicRadarTech]

erm how do you work that one out ?

[@Zhikovn1]

The month will not be enough!

[@tschak909]

I can say, that of all the modulars, the Moog is the easiest one to patch, but it is also the hardest one to wrangle into some sort of usable pitch, as it has a tendency to float all over the place...the System 100/700s are the best middle balance of all the ones shown, they track well, and they're flexible...Serge build quality tends to be all over the map, some are great, some are total lemons and constantly break down..

[@CesarReyes-xx3rq]

oh the serge. what a treat

[@hurricane6014]

I like the sound of the Surge the best - if I could choose one, thank you

[@wackenthaljef]

Good thig is that Benge knows really well his gear!! Thats not always the same case on other vids!

[@Hooghog]

That analogue sound O.O omg

[@themonohub5455]

Love your shirt!

[@BensolarBe]

sounds FUCKING amazing! :o

[@Armandox]

AND a Putney (VCS3)... This guy has it all! All the gems of the analogue era!

[@kastol666]

AMAZING!!!!!!!!! My dream!!!!

[@BLUNTZnBEATZ97]

What type of vst is that?!?! I need a keygen for that

[@richardpower5194]

Tony Woodard hahaha

[@mindmesh7566]

Great upload Future Music mag!!!

[@bobjames2906]

the hair to match the synth, YES

[@CaalamusTube]

To my ear, the Buchla stuff was the most Musical... wish we could've heard more of the 2500!!! What a whacky patching schema!

[@jasstack]

Got to mess with the arp 2500 and learned a lot! For me, the arp 2600 was much easier "see" in terms of using patch cords to connect all the modifiers in whatever configuration that sounded good.

[@Jaesee]

Buchla systems definitely outplay Moog systems in terms of sonic complexity, but their oscillators come nowhere close to the raw power of Moog's.

[@CaalamusTube]

@@Jaesee I'm referring not to the potential of the Machines, but rather to these particular examples of their use :] That having been said... I own Moogs. They are undeniable rich! Would love to snag an Easel someday !

[@mayzon111222]

Unique sounds there! 4.35 is grim, nice!

[@enoz.j3506]

I must say, the newer single wire patch cords that are banana plug/socket based ,eliminat the irritating dodgy connections on the older,moog etc dual mono jack type connections, this is simply because the surface area of a banana plug/socket is far greater. I built my first modular synth back in the 80's,still have parts of it, shame i have robbed a few pots etc over the years, might reassemble it one day,with banana type instead of the 3.5mm jack connectors. Great Video.

[@fshanahan]

"doesn't reach" - and I'm dead.

[@NateSassoonMusic]

imagine the electric bill

[@bloubear2557]

I think the amp takes most of the power, the modules only require a couple of mA

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Best YT vid EVER! Especially around 14m20s personally speaking for a minute or so. Squelch.

[@matiasss550]

nice for making ringtones !