Synthmania quick tip #15 - Synthesizer Gated Lines

[@dissident4117]

Another mystery of the 80s synth music is solved. Well done. Many thanks. I learn so much with your good videos.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

Thanks again Paulo for your time and generosity of spirit. You have a way of explaining things so that even a confirmed simpleton like myself can understand. Perhaps you can teach me how to program a Roland D50, Korg Wavestation and Yamaha DX7 next, if you have a spare 20 years?!

[@FrancisMaxino]

It's like any synthesizor with hundreds of menu screens, read the 3000 page manual.

[@tatsuhirosato8646]

Thanks for sharing the classic tricks. I love the videos you have. Roland's MX-1 mixer has a step sequencer to do this type of thing. It has some really good sequencer controls. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. The inputs and aux outs leave a lot to be desired, but it serves AMAZINGLY well for stuff like this on the fly.

[@williamsonsam4420]

I wish it had more inputs too, but the MX-1 is amazing. I guess we'll have to wait for the MX-8! :) LOL :) Just a thought. :) 面白いですね。

[@serenemachine9110]

Very helpful! I just got a DS201 in the mail today from Ebay. I can't wait to try it out.

[@Magnus_Loov]

And, of course, the gated synth sounds almost defined the early Trance of the 90:s when it was first appearing. That 1-2-3 rhythm that was happening at the same time as the closed hi hat-closed hi hat- open hi hat...

[@eldruidacosmico]

This so cool! I grew up composing on software only and I always wondered how you guys created this amazing sound with gear. This is awesome work! Thanks!

[@djgeorgieporgie7862]

It's so cool that u got your kids to know all this gear. 👍

[@jairkerker2821]

Fun Fun, the exact name I wanted to hear you mention. Very helpful, since I'm gonna have a go at Spanga's sound and music! You're a treasure. Happy Italo new year!

[@mcentertain]

Woooooow!!! Such much to learn but so beautiful sounds... italo disco at its best. Great programming of this micro brute. Only one thing in this video more beautiful than the sound ;) Happy Easter!

[@SvenFx-22]

another great video still wanting some videos on hardware hook ups and connecting and syncing thanks

[@gullyfoyle6354]

Wow, another great classic trick from the sintetizzatore Maestro!! Grazie mile. :) Always wondered how they did those classic arpeggios back in the 80s, now, I know!! LOL

[@sunilsolanki]

Another excellent video! Surprised by how good the Microbrute sounded in the mix. And now I envision that Drawmer gate shooting up in price on eBay!

[@ShahriarTaherkhani]

Excellent tip, man ! Thanks so much for helping my answers, sir ! Your awesome and your tip are so cool and friendly ! I am a big fan of 80's and love Electronic, SynthPop-music ! My best regards to you, *Synthmania* Greetings from: Los Angeles, CA

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you!

[@stef25ify]

Awesome you're getting your kids involved! Must be great to grow up in a musical family.

[@IanSaxman]

Just noticed the opening narration is gated to the background music. 8)

[@VelvetTubeShaper]

Another great video. Thank you Paulo ❤

[@Frank-vf8xf]

Beautiful song Mr. Paolo. Thanks Thanks Thanks so much for share Share your knowledge with everybody and for take your time to make vídeos. You help us so much to understand how to use the instruments…. How does the Tr707 sound like !!!and The Juno-60. Thanks so much always!!!😊

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Many thanks!

[@mixzone2309]

Nice ambiant, good energy ! Thanks for your share and your nice machine !

[@brettmarlar4154]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, the gate is side-chained to the high-tom pattern on the drum machine. Then the threshold on the gate is set to the just below the volume of that tom, with a quick attack and release time so that the gate only opens to allow the sound of the synth to pass through when the tom hits happen.

[@koalemos1679]

This video makes me think of the gate arp that is on a lot of Korg products. A lot of people don't seem to like the gate arp, but it seems to do what you have shown here.

[@alternatingbitmusic]

I too discovered the gate effect in the early 90s, but used it on vocals via an Alesis compressor. Same concept and effect. Funny how a rather elaborate and underground secret is now but a mouse clicked effect in any DAW today.

[@fredd6652]

Perfect Vidéo as usual @SynthMania ! Thank you, Grace Rock !

[@devicefactor2290]

This Is amazing, as always

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thanks so much!

[@nobodyneverknows]

Man, You are the treasure :)

[@JeffEikenberry]

This is AWESOME! Thanks for your incredible videos!

[@FrancisMaxino]

With a modern keyboard like my Korg Kross you can basically get the same effect by customising the arpeggiator to do the same rhythmic pattern and tweak the 'arp gate' and attack. You can even have those arpeggiated chords play in response to what notes you are playing but with a completely different sound than the one that you get directly from playing the keys AND split the keyboard into more than eight different zones with different instruments AND has a built in 16 step programmable drum machine/sequencer built in with assignable drums, not only that but also create an arpeggiated synth bass pattern (two arpeggiators simultaneously playing different patterns and different instruments), what I'm saying is that you can do all of what you are doing here with one piece of hardware, the keyboard itself because synthesizors evolved into monster workstations that do all of that and more in one package...

[@AutPen38]

All that is true, but this video is about the origination of the effect. When gated synth lines were invented (either by accident or design) you needed multiple bits of hardware. People decided they liked the sound, so then synth manufacturers started making synths with a pseudo gate function that didn't require an extra piece of hardware. A lot of the functions we take for granted in modern synths and DAWs, like multitrack recording, reverb, and even preset storage, were once treated as something akin to magic. The studio engineers back in the day had to "build" solutions to the problems of the day. They didn't just press a couple of buttons.

[@luyandolullabies7622]

So amazing! Love the 80's vibe.

[@finitesound]

You have such great demos/tutorials.

[@vanianbulman]

Cool technique and awesome minimal-disco track!

[@magikmoment]

Killer info and presentation, appreciate your references and knowledge

[@kvfive]

I never knew this, we live & learn (still) thank you :-)

[@EgoShredder]

Love seeing your kids in your videos! :-)

[@ConWalsh]

Hi, love your videos! Thank you! Do you have any plans to buy the Linnstrument? I would love to see what you could do with one of those!

[@avijitsadhukhan8371]

Thank you. I was desperately looking for this technique

[@lardosian]

That Juno60 sounds so good.

[@lowbudgetproduction]

Thank you. Excellent tip. I hear bleeding in the background from the Juno 60 during the (closed) gate parts. Is this due to background noise from the TR-707?

[@lowbudgetproduction]

That is a possibility. I was curious about it.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yeah, I left the range off the DS201 open just a bit, because the Juno-60 was the only harmonic instrument in this demo, and I wanted to leave a bit of the pad sound in there to make it still sound like a full arrangement. In a full song, I'd have a separate pad sound, and the gated synth line on top as it was common back in the day. If you want to gate it completely, all you need to do is to set the range at the minimum / set the decay to 2ms.

[@lowbudgetproduction]

Excellent. (It was hard to read \ see the potentiometer knobs in the DS201 shot which was a little blurry.) Your explanation cleared it. Thank you.

[@Torrente70]

I always wondered too how did they do that. I never thought it was always he Drumcomputer. Therefore Stock Aitken Waterman worked with the Linn 9000, not because of the sounds but because of the pattern programming. A wonderful example is "You spin me around" with the programmed pattern sound in the background. Perhaps you can demonstrate it with this song. Thx for your wonderful videos.

[@AltayGENC]

after the gate, a delay followed by the reverb could be nice :) There was a zoom 1024 (1U rack) which I used for this gating purpose. (It was written as "vocoder" in the manual, interestingly)

[@zyn7132]

Excellent! We want more italo-disco !!!

[@actorjohanmatsfredkarlsson2293]

Not having a Drawmer DS-201 lying around I was thinking building a gate with eurorack. Thinking of getting a Behringer 140 Dual Envelope/LFO and Behringer Four Play. I have a lot of CV outs that are unused inlcuiding a trigs from a TR8s.

[@chriswareham]

Just tried this out using my dbx "OverEasy" noise gate. Works really well!

[@fredrikmontelius5215]

Hoping for another music session featuring you and your children!

[@lavoltabbona]

Interessantissimo! Trovi sempre qualcosa di inedito da spiegare, grazie

[@dosgos]

More secrets of the trade! Thanks Paolo!

[@phrank808]

Hi, great tutorial again. Thanks. But what’s the patch setting for the MicroBrute?

[@MrJDL571]

Thank u thank u thank u! Now I get how 3 classic tracks by Duran Duran were gated, Is there something I should know, New Moon on Monday and The Reflex

[@celestinocamicia]

Steve Allen - "Letter From My Heart" (or if you prefer the Italian version, "Lei Balla Sola" by Fabio Vanni) is another classic example of this trick being used throughout the song 😊

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Hehe, now we enter total vintage nostalgia territory, Celestino :🙃

[@speakertreatz]

i just checked this track out - or both of them - and can see the resemblance straight away, and in the process discovered two great Italo tracks, thanks!

[@celestinocamicia]

They use exactly the same instrumental track, produced by famous Italo producer Mauro Malavasi. The Italian version was one of the runners up for the 1984 Sanremo Song Festival, without excessive success, then they anglicized it to try and crack the international market, and it became a reasonable hit in some countries.

[@celestinocamicia]

PS another great example of this technique is also the intro to "Union of the Snake" by Duran Duran (Jupiter 8 gated with a Linn Drum if memory serves me right)

[@Retrogamer71]

Enjoyed a lot, this breakdown. Sadly I don't have such a hardware set up but this is replicable on my software synthetic/sequencer.

[@wolfgangwatzkavocalcoach-m1780]

Great...thanks for the quick tip

[@ZbuntowanyAniol-zs6iz]

your videos are very interesting,good job :-)

[@BAFABOY]

Paolo you're the best !!!

[@chenguefer156]

SynthMania: do you have any idea of what synths/sampler/drum machine Information Society used on What's on your mind?. Thanks for sharing!!.

[@chenguefer156]

Thank you Chris, I can not ask for more, very nice article with a lot of useful information. Best for you!.

[@ShadowPilot]

I'll be damned.. learned something new.Thanks for sharing!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Very welcome!

[@Dr-Stu]

That a famous Juno patch or just some random string setting? It's incredible. I'm trying to replicate it with the tal-u-no-lx

[@ShadovvV]

I'm hearing some nasty distortion breakup with the Drawmer gate on. It doesn't sound as clean with the gate on. I also own the DS201 and this is something I don't like about it. It's pretty much the same as the DBX 266XL. They both have a tendency to create some type of muddiness with slight distortion in the signal. I notice this especially with electric guitar. Are you noticing this?

[@thesucculentcity]

Can you elaborate on this? I’m definitely hearing some added distortion but I’m not sure if it’s the input clipping on drawmer or if the trigger is too hot?

[@ShadovvV]

@@thesucculentcity - My post was 6 years old, but I'll still try to answer, since I sold both of those units years ago.. and this post was the reason for it. My conclusion was the Drawmer was very bad at gating and was worse than the DBX. The DBX had a subtle and squishy fuzz to it, regardless of what I used it on. The best thing it sound good on was bass guitar, but was still muddled. As for the Drawmer, I've owned several different Drawmer rack types over the years and came to the conclusion that all of them simply sucked. To my ear, everything Drawmer devices did was far too subtle, especially their Mercenary 1968 and 1969 compressors (obvious marketing names), which were really nothing more than $1000 gain knobs. Basically, the compression was so transparent, it didn't even exist. I thought the components also seemed to be very low quality and did next to nothing. They gate you're asking about was pure doo doo. As a matter of fact, a Boss NS2 pedal did a better job. Not only did the DS201 add noise, every gating method on it was flawed. It was choppy and just the opposite of their compressors. No subtlety, at all. It would simply 'chop' off noise and then add distortion. Pure crap. I'll likely never purchase ANY Drawmer gear again.

[@ForbiddenDuke]

sounds cool

[@natura808]

Man, thank you for that great tip!!! Can you please describe your audio chain from TR-707 to the recording device, please. I love your TR-707 kick sound so much! Is there some low's boost on TR-707 channel??? Compression???

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Actually this video has hardly any compression, probably 2dB on the main mix and that's it. It's just pure 707 straight to the mixing console, with the eq bypassed. The TR-707 is punchy like that by itself

[@natura808]

Seems like your console makes it even punchier and gives it more low end, or I'm doing something wrong with my TR-707. Thank you again!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Are you using the Accent on 1-5-9-13 on the bass drum? If not, maybe that's why you say yours sounds different. I have accent going at 1-5-9-13 in this video, as it's customary to do...

[@natura808]

I'm using AKAI MPC-1000 as a sequencer and when AKAI send MIDI notes with velocity=127 to the TR-707 it makes the kick sounds even louder than accented one, I tend to think it’s your console preamps saturation works that way and I love it cause my new mixer (Allen&Heath) sounds too sterile, it’s hard even to compare with your sound, it’s not bad but deferent and not that juicy. What are you using as a master recorder - tape, digital???

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

This one is digital. SSL converter (see my FAQs)

[@PieroCozzi]

Hi Paolo.... how can i do with a synth without gate ports ? Thank you in advance and than you for share your tutorials

[@huronmusicnyc]

Woah, I was just doing something similar to this with Korg Polysix, Roland S-330, Volca Beats and Minibrute just to see if my crappy Tapco Compressor/Gate would.

[@chuckjunior009]

I want more!

[@fabioabilio]

very cool!!!

[@graysonhydesoto]

u are a wizard, i love you

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

I love you too, Elaine

[@glogg12]

Thanx for sharing this. Do I need a dual gate for this technique?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

You're welcome. If you have a mono source, you don't need a stereo gate, but it's nice to have

[@fredturd]

Thanks for the lessons!

[@cliffgeiger8173]

I have a general question for you. Have you ever heard of a disco song called Eletric Avenue? It would have came out in the middle 80's. Some of the disco beats called for at that time or that you use, reminds me of that song

[@andinbriwel1092]

Clifford Geiger but SynthMania took it higher.... Rawwwwwr.... Eddy Grant

[@oele]

thnx again for the knowledge

[@giovannibadalamenti6132]

Very nice video Paolo. How else would you send a signal to the drawmer if you don't have a TR707? And wouldn't you be able to accomplish the same effect with a sequencer, like the MSQ700?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

You can use any "spikey" sound to trigger. A sequencer will give you a different effect - sequenced rather than gated / MIDI vs Audio. In theory they could sound similar / same, in reality, not so much. Different feel

[@JillSaphic]

So that's how that works... It sounds great when you get it going, and those later chords you bring in are super! thank you Paolo for the "gating your poly synth" video. Your Juno sounds huge, di you add effects? or is it dry?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Jill, thank you, this is just the dry Juno - no effects - yes, the PWM on the Juno combined with the chorus effect sounds very big

[@cestladope]

Any Intergalactic FM listeners here? Are your kids into the music? It's so nice to see how supportive they are.

[@craigwood8862]

Great video!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@daved8514]

Very helpful videos. You did one that demonstrated a Blue Monday bouncy bass, using a TR707 (I think) to trigger an arppegiator on the synth. I've got an Ultranova and want to do similar stuff to this and other 80s stuff. Which drum machine would you recommend for it that is available today (not too expensive because it's only for home hobby use).

[@DavidBoura]

03:44 wow, i feel like in Front 242 - No shuffle... did they use the 707?

[@Philipplus]

Very interesting technique. Thank you for sharing!

[@hansroemerszoonvanderbrikk7626]

You definitely rock with those synths! Congratulations. May I ask you an advice if I want to buy a good (versatile) analog synth without ask the bank for a mortgage? I currently own a Korg M1 and a Roland D5, but they are old, the user interface is frustrating on both, and M1 it's only a rompler though it is a very goor one. I would like pure analog sound ... for virtual ones I already have tons of VSTs.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you - you could consider waiting a couple of months for the Prophet Rev2

[@hansroemerszoonvanderbrikk7626]

I was thinking the same, now I'm pretty more convinced :) Hope will deliver in time there in Italy too. grazie per il consiglio ;)

[@hansroemerszoonvanderbrikk7626]

I've just tried it in a shop two hours ago, on the sides there were a Minimoog, a Moog Phatty Sub37 Bob Moog Tribute Edition, an ARP Odyseey module (the one made by Korg) and an Arturia microbrute. The only one that bears the comparison with the big sacred monster Moogs it's just the Novation bass station II. But I'm looking for a poly, I think that I'm going to buy the Prophet as Paolo suggested. You know: you can cry the first time (by spending a lot of moneys) and enjoy the rest of the times, or you can enjoy the first time by sparing a lot of moneys and cry the rest of the times. The new prophet rev2 is not exactly like vintage ones but it's an amazing analog.

[@mm-qk3eu]

Hi Very interesting videos. I would like to know what were your setups on the Drawmer DS201. Thank you

[@LavLab]

Cool tip! 👽👍

[@riseofthemachine2623]

This is a great tip! I also have a Juno-60 and TR-707 and I have a question: I understand that you programmed the rhythmic Hi Tom part and feed that output to the Key input of the DS201, but are you connecting the Juno to the DS201 or the Rim Shot trigger out on the TR-707? Cheers!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you, the Juno's output goes through the DS201 - in line - through it. The 707's rim shot trigger is not used in this video

[@riseofthemachine2623]

I just want to thank you for inspiring me to explore this very cool technique. I purchased a similar gate (USAudio GATEX) and it works wonderfully! I can't wait to use it in a composition. I owe you one! - Cheers, Mark (ROTM)

[@TheSoundtec]

Great Tip Thanks!

[@stcezaire06]

Awesome .....80'

[@amonster8mymother]

Wow that's really cool I want to do that. 😎

[@Anders130]

So Nice!!!

[@carlosdelapaz5845]

beau travail🖒🖒🖒

[@kuldipsinghdegon6107]

Great

[@Dlight-r4o]

Maybe is this possible to do this straight from rimshot triggering? thanks

[@skyhigh4000]

forever synthmania

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Kareem, thank you!

[@pinklightmusic]

Which songs use this effect? Is this what New Order used in Bizarre Love Triangle during the pre chorus?

[@pocojoyo]

I think so. Also Animal Magic by Belouise Some. I suppose the chorus of You Spin Me Round too

[@AutPen38]

I was about to mention some Duran Duran tracks, like 'The Reflex'. Producer Ian Little used a Drawmer gate on that. He also produced Belouis Some.

[@mikemikemike701]

I miss the 80's😕

[@xephren6557]

which inputs/outputs do i connect to what? how do i configure it?

[@havijergarcic6227]

epic gears man

[@kisho2679]

which newer alternative hardware would be comparable to the Drawmer Gate DS201?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

The DS201 is still being manufactured and available brand new

[@apparitionight]

The DS-501 with Peak Punch and frequency conscious gating was fun

[@dosgos]

Dobule videos. And special guest!!

[@DavidBoura]

It starts at 00:00, you're welcome.

[@tommywarisnaked7625]

Very lucky girl!

[@giuseppmetallic8872]

can i do same with casio cz 101 ? with arpeggio's and trigger's bass ? connected trough roland TR 707 ?

[@danjoh5677]

Will a dbx 266xs do this job?

[@RobynVids]

Wish my dad was as cool as you ;3

[@ShadovvV]

Are you using any other external hardware on the Juno? Or a VST plugin maybe? I hear something like a slight phaser on it.

[@drstupid1]

What's in the rack above the gate at 4.35 ? I thought it was a voyetra 8 for a second! You seem like you've got almost every other classic 80s iconic synth :)

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Do you mean "what is it" besides the name "model dmx 15-80s : computer controlled stereo digital delay : advanced music systems : burnley, england" that clearly shows at 4:35 ? It's a model dmx 15-80s, computer controlled stereo digital delay, by advanced music systems (AMS) from Burnley, England, one of the best ever made.

[@drstupid1]

haha sorry i was watching on my phone. its that small and blurry i didnt even notice the text. it is indeed a nice delay :)

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Haha :) I was just joking around - yes, it's a classic unit that was used by one of my favorite producers, Martin Hannett

[@drstupid1]

youve got so much awesome gear sometimes it gives me vision loss :) actually all the time. love your vids and keep up the good work chief

[@mcentertain]

che bella!

[@Max10_B]

How wld u set this up in a daw? I have a Jdxi I thought of just programming chords on steps in a sequence but I'd like to be able to do it on the fly

[@maracuder]

There are different possibilities: you could draw a volume envelope and apply it to the chord. You could use a gate, that is controlled by another track, so you duck the volume depending on another track's volume. This is called side-chaining. Normally, you can then configure attack and release of volume changes as well as in the hardware gate.

[@maracuder]

Possibly, you could also setup a similar Sequencer on the JD-Xi itself by recording volume changes as a sequence, if there is something like a "motion recorder" or similar.