Processing Synths and Drum Machines through a Vintage Maxon Mixer

A follow up to the Boss KM-60 mixer video I did a few weeks back: • Processing Drum Machin...
This time we're taking the analogue mixer test further with a vintage Maxon RM-60 and RM-100 EX to see how both synths and drums machines sound through processed through them.
Level 1: Simple
Synths and Drum Machines:
TR-606 (1981)
TB-303 (1981)
Roland System 500 (2016)
FX:
Boss DM-2 (1981)
Dr Scientist BitQuest (2014)
Strymon El Capistan (2010)
Control:
Arturia BeatStep Pro (2015)
Level 2: Moderate
Synths and Drum Machines:
Oberheim DXa (1983)
Moog Minitaur (2012)
Roland SH-101 (1982)
ARP Avatar (1977)
FX:
Maxon UE 303 B (1982)
Boss CE-2 (1979)
Boss DM-2 (1981)
Lexicon Impulse
Dr Scientist BitQuest (2014)
Strymon El Capistan (2010)
Control:
Arturia BeatStep Pro (2015)
Level 3: Full Beans
Synths and Drum Machines:
Roland TR-707 (1984)
Yamaha DX-7 (1983)
ARP Odyssey 2813 (1976)
Sequential Circuits Pro~One (1981)
Korg MS-20 Mark 1 (1978)
Guitar:
Ibanez JEM 7DBK (2002)
FX:
Maxon UE 303 B (1982)
Boss CE-2 (1979)
Boss DM-2 (1981)
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS-808 reissue (2014)
Dr Scientist BitQuest (2014)
Strymon El Capistan (2010)
Control:
Arturia BeatStep Pro (2015)
Korg SQ-1 (2015)
MOTU Midi Express 128 (2003)
Cubase
Social:
alexballmusic
Facebook.com/alexballmusic

[@AlexBallMusic]

Stop jabbering and show me the results: 3:23 7:28 10:41

[@theshyguy1580]

LOL!!

[@MrKrisstain]

Thanks. Next time "shut up and show me the results" is even better

[@d.a.v3danimationprod791]

😂😂..im saying the same thing,as im at the laundrymat watching this..."just get on with it"

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@d.a.v3danimationprod791 Ha. Well it's that thing that if I just showed the results then that would be meaningless because it wouldn't explain what was happening. But then the explanations take a couple of minutes each so it gets pretty wordy. Hence this quick link for people who have no use for the explanations.

[@d.a.v3danimationprod791]

Thanks alex, keep up the good work👍👊

[@spybloodjr]

The jam at the end was sicccccck. Would love to hear that with the mix on the guitar pumped up a bit. Regardless the filth was turned up to 11, and I'm living for it.

[@richardhedderly]

"Regardless the filth was turned up to 11" - pmsl

[@mightymike1978]

hehe, was going to comment but your comment was killing it to the max. so my comment is obsolete now... ;-)

[@DanielHuman1996]

Wow, it sounds great. I used to work at guitar center in 2000 and remember when people were trading in their old analog mixers for comparative priced digital mixers, and hearing their mixes get worse.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, better doesn't mean "better" I guess. These mixers actually glue things together very musically.

[@bobafruti]

I imagine 20yr old digital mixers are now worth well less than the analog mixers they traded in.

[@fender97]

@@AlexBallMusic Agree. The difference is night and day between analogue and digital gear. It's like when you have a valve and a transistor guitar amp, no contest. Nice work on the tunes.

[@marklewis4024]

I agree!

[@XavierRadix]

It doesn't just sound fantastic, it looks fantastic, too! Love those colored knobs.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, bright knobs and glowing VUs. The aesthetic is part of the experience.

[@tactul7376]

anyone any Idea, where to find those? My RM is lacking 4 of those and would look less thooth-less with them ^^

[@danjwatts]

Love it! I've been doing this for years especially on drums. I've an old spring reverb unit that was designed for a hi-fi (because spring reverb makes everything better!) that I especially love on piano. I often find using equipment in ways it's not been intended can bring great results.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Spring reverb for a hi-fi! Haha, what a simultaneously brilliant and terrible idea! Can imagine people soaking perfectly good recordings into oblivion. Great to repurpose it for music making. Agree, many sounds I love come from using equipment in ways it wasn't intended for.

[@graxjpg]

@@AlexBallMusic people used to put spring reverbs in their CARS!!! To make the AM radio sound better I guess.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I want a spring reverb in my car!

[@graxjpg]

@@AlexBallMusic I know a guy who has one from a rat rod he made in the 70s. It’s the biggest spring reverb tank I’ve ever seen! The size of a square mandolin case!

[@t0xcn253]

Making a career out of misusing equipment is my stated goal

[@korbly]

Cant wait for that ARP documentary! 👀👀👀

[@AlexBallMusic]

Coming together. Very exciting. :)

[@SaumBodhi]

Whats that?

[@lucasc5622]

@@SaumBodhi literally just google arp documentary. its not hard

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@lucasc5622 The ARP documentary was still being made when this video was uploaded and he's referring to a comment I made to that effect at 6:23.

[@focus5766]

I keep coming back to this video for the first track, and I can't stop...

[@Lofyne]

I love the sound you’re getting from this gear! Reminds me very much of some early to mid 80s Cabaret Voltaire 👍

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks. Yes, I like what these mixers do to audio signals.

[@NeuronalAxon]

Does sound a bit CV-ish, yeah. 👍

[@Pablo668]

That was really cool. Sounded awesome. That cable that was running in front of you in the last set up. I'd have forgotten that was there and walked through it, breaking the cable and pulling a heap of gear from both sides onto the floor. I'm clumsy like that.

[@timburdsey]

That first acid jam had me reaching for the pingers! 😳😉😂

[@JuanPabloVeTV]

Super mega like! I've recently found a really really rare copy of a Boss Km6A, made by a strange company called Pro.2 It sounds AMAZING, one of this days, I will make a review video and send it to you. Thank you and cheers from Colombia!

[@wingflanagan]

Great video, as usual. I'm not nearly so much of a gearhead, but your enthusiasm is infectious. The irony of retro gear enthusiasm is that us old farts couldn't WAIT for digital to take over so we could get rid of all those pesky analogue artifacts and get a "clean", "perfect" sound. I suppose in retrospect, those artifacts actually did add something aesthetic to the mix. Hindsight is always 20/20!

[@DarkSideofSynth]

So true! Noise floor, hiss, hum. cables everywhere, imperfect tuning, imperfect timing, 'cheesy' sounds, distortion.... Now they want them all back. I guess music and technolgy are a bit like fashion: what is in one day, is out the next and then it's back in years later and the cycle goes on and on... Who knows, perhaps in 8-10 years the 2010s will be retro and people will crave for 'old' plugins and sound libraries... or not ;)

[@AlexBallMusic]

It's like black and white photos or old 8mm video. Gives a hazy rose tinted view of something. If something is too clear we seem to dislike it, like it's a bit bland. Just look at Instagram with all those filters for a case in point!

[@wingflanagan]

@@AlexBallMusic Yup. Perhaps it's best to think of them as adding "character". I must confess I like film grain in photos and movies, which sort of contradicts what I said before. Maybe it's because I was older and more set in my ways when digital photography became a thing.

[@MarcioSilva-ssiillvvaa]

Amazing sound! I'd dance the night away to that music.

[@garygluebag]

As soon as u pressed play, I shouted out yesssss. The acid line is dope. All sounds wicked

[@MSM5500]

Soundcraft Signature mixers become interesting when it comes to their mid bell shape EQ knobs which can work as a band pass filter modulator.

[@santiagobielboatas3033]

What a party you're having there, man!!! I'm glad you have great fun doing music having done so many great tracks. Hugs. Santi from BOF

[@AlexBallMusic]

👊

[@THEREALDATALORD]

Nice demonstration. Lovely seeing this vintage kit shown off. (tune your kicks lower)

[@THEREALDATALORD]

The second jam at the end was proper. No tuning needed.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers. The DX is the only drum machine with tuning from the three I used and it gets quite aliasey in a bad way when tuned too far down.

[@mrclaytron]

Brilliant as always! And hell yeah, that jam at the end was awesome! (Actually, all jams were really good!)

[@alison_synths]

that DX snare!!

[@titovalasques]

A.L.I.S.O.N Heavy A F.

[@AlexBallMusic]

DX is a beefy boy. Probably my favourite drum machine that I own.

[@baddriddimworkshop]

Damn I love this guy...

[@nocode881]

Great videos. I can’t tell ya how helpful your short explanations are. I love hearing about routing and effects. Please keep them coming and I’ll keep watching. Thanks again for your time.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks. I never know whether it's useful or just irrelevant blathering so good to know.

[@michaelwheeler3123]

you've got serious talent

[@NicholasBryantBonzaiSequoias]

Like the design of that mixer/expander pair, it would make sense in contemporary project studios - expand when required without having to replace. One trick I used when I got my first mixer (all 6 channels of it!) with Fx and Monitor send.. Use the monitor (pre fade) send with a delay (no feedback on the delay itself) that is returned to a channel. This allows panning, eq and feedback via channel monitor send. Good for dub FX as you can eq in realtime.

[@alexjung5129]

I love these videos, it would be great to see you do something similar with maybe some more common/inexpensive mixers from boss or otherwise. Again, it's so cool to see you do this stuff although it would also be really cool if your viewers, who don't have the deepest pockets, could go out and try it for themselves without spending a lot of money!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah totally understand. It's more a question of the character of something. If an inexpensive mixer just has a straightforward sound with no colour then great, but it's not going to make for an interesting video (in my mind). If something inexpensive does something in particular that takes a sound somewhere then that would be perfect. Will have to keep an eye out.

[@JulianDoe]

Awesome! Love the new editing! another must-share video!

[@arayapokey]

Fuck yeah dude, always pumped to see one of your videos.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@Synthchaser]

Really, really good songs! I can't wait to see what you do with all the ARPs!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers Nathan :)

[@derekholland3328]

final track was super gnarly!

[@jawoody9745]

Happy to see you using the "SL' Avatar" Alex!

[@tim_arterbury]

The JAMZ 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@evilscientistrecords]

Phase II has that awesome Gary Numan / Tubeway Army vibe, great stuff!

[@janipashkvan797]

I use the Ibanez RM70 for synths all the time, high and low mids eq, which is so useful. And they are very cheap

[@isher9035]

You are straight-up goals, man.

[@cdwhiley]

I didn't know you dabbled in the acid-esque 4x4 world. I like this. Thanks Alex.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I have been known.

[@DustyEktpo]

You should definitively make a feat with Look Mum No Computer! Your work and sounds are amazing!!

[@NPrescott]

Amazing video and production! I love all the retro gear you have on display and in use. I have to say that the 2nd performance was my favorite; Although all were top notch! :)

[@user-qf4zs6qj4c]

Compared to my rig the clarity, separation, and low noise levels are amazing. Maybe my Xenyx mixer sucks, or I'm too heavy handed with the reverb and delay, I dunno.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Is the Xenyx a Behringer mixer?

[@benanderson89]

You'll be too heavy with the reverb and delay with/or too little compression and/or bad stereo seperation. Less is more with mixing.

[@user-qf4zs6qj4c]

@@AlexBallMusic It is indeed. It's the 3.6 roentgen of mixers - not great, not terrible.

[@user-qf4zs6qj4c]

@@benanderson89 Very likely. In particular I've never really applied compression except to the stereo mixdown after recording (I'm trying to work dawless as much as possible). Mind you I don't think compression was used here by Alex?

[@deejaynoizecph]

5:00 for the gentle knob caress *sighs*

[@richardalldredge9129]

Been listening to that new album of yours. That thing is amazing!!! Do more!!! If you could do one using like more vintage modular machines, that would be amazing!!!!!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks. There will be more vintage modular when I'm able.

[@photovore099]

Damn! That mixer is hot action!!

[@Behnan]

the last one is really unique...great tune

[@XnazxulX]

Man love the sound of that over driven 606

[@gorillabraudcast474]

Sounds freaking amazing man! We run a very simular set up for making rap beats very similar textures.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Nice. Actually you've made me think, I bet live drum loops sound great through it too. Perfect for hip hop etc.

[@raggedrec]

really enjoying your vids Alex

[@GregShaw]

That was awesome so glad I randomly found this!!

[@shookmusic]

great work Alex!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers Jasper 👊

[@JohnEternal]

that track in the background at :57 is so chill and excellent

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks. I was trawling my archives and found that from back in 2007. Thought it would be nice as underscore.

[@JohnEternal]

@@AlexBallMusic Is it available to buy?

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@JohnEternal I'll run off an MP3 and send you think next week.

[@Makebelieve123]

Love your videos Alex !

[@Angelstarscotland]

This is great, I’d love to see you your processes you used for making your album, which I love btw top of my lists for listening to.

[@nofretzDW]

Sounds amazing. Great work.

[@eancurtis9333]

Sounds huge!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, the compression from the saturation certainly fattens it up.

[@tomblaze2]

Love that dirty mixer sound - YUM

[@vaspers]

Very nice video. Great music you make!

[@zammotaylor]

Such a nice guy. Such great videos!

[@MisAnnThorpe]

I've met him - I sold him the Avatar - and he struck me as the kind of person I'd want for a friend. Unfortunately, I'm not!

[@bossasupremo5879]

Ye, though they gazed with great scrutiny upon the finalé, the people of Utubea saw that it was indeed Grand for it did not suck in any way. And it came to pass that the compliments bestowed upon him numbered more than the birds of the air, or the lilies of the field.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Bless you child.

[@edwallace3704]

Superb video Alex

[@THEREALDATALORD]

That last jam reminds me of Chemical Brothers. Respect.

[@kikkirow]

That was so epic! I would like it without guitar in the end though.

[@nakanda]

I loved that!!! sounds a little bit saturated, but I looovee that!

[@peter-utrblk]

Great show. Thank you a lot.

[@will8043]

amazing work

[@LouisSerieusement]

Awesome thank you so much for sharing !! I obviously loved the first part :p and I'm again astonished by your guitar timming ! Love your channel, cheers !

[@AlexBallMusic]

Can't go wrong with a bit of 303. Sounds perfect driven and with the bass pumped. Guitar - cheers. Thought I'd mix it up.

[@LouisSerieusement]

@@AlexBallMusic This mixer sounds really good when overdriven with the 303, it's not always the case but here the distorted 303 sounds just perfect !

[@pardonmysandwich6943]

Excellent programming! Cheers!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@theinternetseekers2436]

Sounds infinetly better than working in a daw

[@AlexBallMusic]

Has a sound for sure.

[@anonymex22]

Full beans is just too much anyway round 1 and 2 sounds great! Analog sounds rocks as well as this mixer!

[@lorenmorgan1931]

I think Alex just went full one Reznor here! on the second demo! Add some super white noise distorted guitar and you have a PHM tribute song going!

[@TheAstroKid]

Yeah the good old day’s midi 👍🏿🎧

[@GNeuman]

Great demo!

[@michaelluciano1980]

10:45 remind me a bit of Alive 2007 dooooope

[@gibafilm]

Love this mixer - it is the same like ibanez rm 60, in addition I have the rm 80, which is even better with parametric mids. Wire a feedback loop with an old midiverb /-fex and you have a synth already 8-)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Nice! Didn't know there was an 80. As I understand, Ibanez badged the Maxon mixers outside of Japan, but they're identical. Does that sound right?

[@gibafilm]

@@AlexBallMusic I guess so. For sure Ibanez badged their pedals Maxon, and it seems also the rm 60, because it looks identical. The 80 has not the toy-like colors, but it has semi-parametric mids and 8 channels each with send/return. I didn't know there was a rm 100 expander. As always cool demo Alex, looking forward to your Avatar documentary

[@tactul7376]

@@AlexBallMusic Totally right! I got hold of the schematics and be it Maxon or Ibanez, they are the same. Have to agree with Giba, the RM80 has some great benefits, especially the indiv. send/returns, but optically the RM60 is way above, the 80 also is quite fiddly as they placed the 8 channels into the same casing as the 60

[@llmrfantasticll]

Whens the album coming out?

[@AlexBallMusic]

Two weeks ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZvKoJ5_j76ffqc

I'll have to check out the Boss video first.. would rather see one with true effects loop and I'm partial to Boss stuff from that era. Very tasty high end results on that equipment.

[@HornieCow]

7:26 Level 2 is freaking awesome!!! thats really cool. :)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@michaelrhodes9178]

The one man band nice✌🏾2020

[@shufflephunk]

Love your work my friend, you heard of the new OTO BOOM Bebe cherie? Also seems to have an amazing soundquality

[@retrosound72]

yes :D

[@kernalkarma4752]

Fun fun fun .

[@lymangreen5020]

You got a lot of great equipment!! And kinda look like Howard Jones!! 👍👍👍

[@dustincassidy]

Totally awesome!

[@jokkejens]

Dope!

[@pkarvo]

Nice vid. Firstly, get yourself a good table bro, save your knees! ;) Secondly thought there was a tad too much saturation on that last jam, sounded good with bass n drums but a bit too mushy with all the tracks in. Though nice to see/hear those little steps of saturation that gives old music that sought after mojo.

[@sonnyobrien]

well done - you would make black moth super rainbow happy

[@mconstant007]

Why does this sound so much better than... Anything 😭 Now everything else is ruined.

[@thesset3666]

amazing sound bravo!

[@ordemeprogresso5429]

Brazil thanks

[@muralist_]

Shiiit. really love the shit you make!

[@skunchtv]

that was great

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks

[@ringtangting]

Gosh, that 606 is sounding righteous! Any post-processing?

[@napkinshoplifta5163]

dope

[@dillipphunbar7924]

very cool I'm so jelly

[@fantasyproduct1042]

Perfect!!!!!!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@JIDEHHIGHELEMENTS]

got subscribed on this one ! the track is fire !!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!

[@JIDEHHIGHELEMENTS]

@@AlexBallMusic where can I find some of your music to listen , thx

[@RobertDorschel]

Wondering what, pre-mastering, that noise floor sounded like. Probably a seashore at the in-tide

[@AndreasR86]

"driven a little bit, but not too hard" Allow me to disagree. But despite artistic disagreements, what it all does sounds nice.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Fair enough. It's subjective; some people have said it's driven too much for their taste and others love it.

[@modularmountain3910]

Samples of these would have been awesome!

[@McN4styFilth]

Damn that jam at the end was disgusting. Love your channel man!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers. Your channel name suggests you'd like a track that. :)

[@McN4styFilth]

@@AlexBallMusic Oh hell yeah man. I just came back to listen to it again!

[@bobz1736]

Awesome Alex... blow your whistle!!!

[@jesseanderson3835]

Hey Alex, love your content. Any chance you have a workflow video of how you get your drum patterns setup in your DAW? I have a couple old drum machines with patterns I'm digging but finding it difficult to rebuild them one sample at a time or create interesting fills when in the box. Would it be best to record a few patterns as a whole then chop them up and arrange them as needed? Cheers from TX.

[@Basslcal]

Great video as always, I really look up to this channel for inspiration and as a great learning tool! Would love to know the tabs for that little guitar noodle bit

[@pedalpukus]

Dude!