The Pearl Syncussion From 1979!

A look at the first drum synthesizer made by Pearl, the Syncussion SY-1 from 1979.
Get the sample pack, music and stems from this video and help me make more stuff like this via my new Patreon:
/ alexballmusic
Thank you for the support!
0:00 Intro Jam
0:53 The Pearl Syncussion
1:26 Demo 1: Pearl Jam
2:21 Talk: How Does It Work?
4:50 Talk: Who Used It?
5:07 Demo 2: Is This Dub?
6:15 Talk: A Second Life
6:57 Demo 3: Is This Techno?
8:00 Talk: Legacy
8:47 Sample Pack
9:42 Outro Jam

[@AlexBallMusic]

Get the sample pack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/AlexBallMusic Thanks for the support!

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Imo, you're one of the best on KZbin, doing what you do.

[@Whistler-007]

Congrats on setting up Patreon.

[@paperbea]

I heard this from a shop manager I used to work with, "How do you know the stage is level? the drummer is drooling from both sides of their mouth"

[@AlexBallMusic]

Classic.

[@vdgjolly]

🤣

[@TheBiggerNoise]

As a drummer, I need someone to explain this to me. Prefer large print and no big words.

[@trumjohannsmancave]

Aaaaa fer focks sake!!!😂💥 That's what we drummers say about the bass players🤣🤣

[@ilmokorhonen]

@@trumjohannsmancave I also know this as a bassist joke 😂

[@McMxxCiV]

I am a drummer and I am seriously offended. But also: What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless. What's the last thing a drummer says before he gets replaced? "Let's try one of my songs!" How many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, we've got machines for that now. How do you know the stage is perfectly level? The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I tell you the truth, I'm being made redundant by robots, have to find a new job by September.

[@InSurrealtime]

Why did the Drummer cross the road? Because that's where his girlfriend dropped him off.

[@chupathingy5862]

Never before have I been so offended with something I 100% agree with

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

Yeah, that last one is one I've heard more than once ;)

[@jeremycorbett9085]

What's the benefit of a drum machine over a real drummer? You only have to punch the rhythm into the drum machine once.

[@faylonbiryani]

Q. What’s the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? A. You only have to punch the information into the drum machine once..

[@AlexBallMusic]

Have you ever used a vintage drum machine with faulty buttons though?

[@jason3898]

@@AlexBallMusic Makes them more life-like :) All the modern drum machines have randomizers to compensate for the terrible lack of faulty buttons.

[@walkthewalk145]

@@jason3898 If it is life like you're after, try something living. Like a real drummer.

[@MEGAMIGA]

That Reggae tune was mint!

[@rockabillyjimify]

Bloke goes into the shop, says to the guy behind the counter "I want a Les Paul Standard, a Marshall JCM 800, a Marshall 4x12 cab and a Marshall 4x12 angled cab please". The guy behind the counter says "You're a drummer, aren't you?" and the bloke says "Yes. How did you know?". Guy behind the counter says "This is a fish and chip shop".

[@philipbrowne63]

Did you hear about the bass player who locked his keys in his car? He had to break a window to get the drummer out...

[@SuperSjeba]

Prince used the syncussion. You can hear it on Controversy and 1999 albums. He used it together with the LM1 and live when he was touring in that period 81-83. Really really cool hearing it live.

[@wingflanagan]

You STOLE my drummer joke! But I do have a story: I used to play accordion in a zydeco band back in the day. We did a gig in a sketchy part of town, but I decided to take a chance and leave my instrument in the car afterward when we went out for drinks. Came back from the bar and, sure enough, the driver's side window was broken and someone had left five more accordions in the back seat.

[@AlexBallMusic]

😂

[@ThatOtherMikeyGuy]

That is my go-to accordion gag!!!

[@db3944]

Back in the day, I had a gig playing triangle in a reggae band. I used to stand at the back and ting.

[@profpep]

Then you know the definition of perfect pitch? When you toss an accordion into a dumpster and land it on a banjo.

[@InSurrealtime]

Yeah you right!

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

What did the drummer name his twin daughters? Anna 1 Anna 2

[@AlexBallMusic]

😂

[@kadsenkalle4663]

How do you know there's a drummer knocking on your door? On the 1 and the 3 the cat flap opens.

[@timburdsey]

😂😂😂

[@tonycowin]

That's a great one.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Jeez, one I've never heard that's also bloody funny! Pat on the head for you.

[@vdgjolly]

🤣

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

ROFL, that's a good one, and one I've not heard before :)

[@stormstereo]

That intro music is the coolest thing I’ve heard in 2023. 11 minutes later - I take that back. ALL music in this video is the coolest things I’ve heard in 2023! Love your videos, man.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks Tommy! 🙂

[@slipziq]

that dub jam, man.. so good!

[@keyboardkingpin]

Synth drums from the 70s kick ass. I actually have 2 Synare 3's that friend Johnny gave me in 2004 before he passed away. RIP JOHNNY. Ill do a video on them soon. Excellent work as always Alex!!Im getting addicted to Cv and making beats with it. Im jealous of that set up..

[@MFitz12]

Q: What sort of person likes to hang out with musicians? A: Drummers. Q: What is the definition of a rock band? A: 3 musicians and a drummer.

[@MichaelMittner]

I've heard that a bit different, as a headline in the newspaper: "Tourbus accident: 3 musicians and 1 drummer injured"

[@jason3898]

Darn it, you had to put up a sample pack. I was supposed to get work done today :) Not a single second of hesitation to sign up for the Patreon. This channel is easily in my top 3 across all media.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!!

[@wajobu]

The dub groove…walking around Ladbroke Grove London in the summer of 1981 a jam like this would be coming out of the record shops. Nice work, Alex!

[@modmodell8897]

i love your music which always comes along with the videos. pure talent, good jokes. a good entertainment + really interesting to watch. thanks!!

[@macronencer]

This one passed me by, I have to say! I had no idea so many bands were using it - and to be honest I'd never wondered where all those interesting sounds were coming from on dub reggae... cool! Oh, and to balance the drummer thing a little, I'll give you this, which I saw on the wall of a dressing room in Germany: RULES FOR ROADIES 1. If it's wet, drink it. 2. If it's dry, smoke it. 3. If it moves, f*** it. 4. If it doesn't move, load it on the van.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, it has had a few different lives in different eras and genres. Fun thing. The use in dub Reggae is probably my favourite.

[@angaudlinn]

I got the pads, both stands and the very sexy blue carry bag to go with the synth. Amazing machine! :D And, as most owners know: It's quite easy to modify into two cv/gate-contolled mono synthesizers.

[@AlexBallMusic]

This one had the sexy blue bag, but get you with your pads and stands you naughty minx. Yeah, hacking the foot pedal in for CV control and also splitting the channels with a TRS output are the must-have mods. This one is going to be done in time. It's currently stock.

[@Synthesis1979]

Thanks for all the Sample packs from your other drum machines In the past Alex.

[@JulianDoe]

just watched your video and I really enjoyed it! I've always been a fan of vintage drums, and your video was really informative. I especially appreciated the way you explained the history of the Syncussion and how it works. I also learned a lot about the different sounds that it can produce. Thanks again for making such a great video!

[@CaidicusProductions]

Truly some of THE best content on KZbin. Thank you for all of your presentations, Alex.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Great music yet again Alex.

[@SynthgodXXX]

That intro groove is so cool! Fantastic demo!

[@maxmatson1578]

Love your channel! 🎹🎛️🎧✌️👍 BrAp oN!!¡!✋✌️

[@jkuebler89]

I've got a couple different clones of this, and I instantly click to hear how badass mine could sound. 😂 Amazing work as always Alex. Truly talented musician.

[@natejohnson6269]

Oooh, new upload from Alex! Just in time for coffee!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Hope the Syncussion doesn't spill it.

[@Rockky67]

Great stuff as per. Had always thought it was a bit of a joke until I got an emulation and added effects, really makes the sounds come alive.

[@faylonbiryani]

Another top video. Love it!

[@CommunityGuidelines]

Came to watch the quality video, stayed to read all the drummer jokes.

[@twidknobbler]

Another absodubly brilliant video.

[@ClemensWennersMusic]

What an interesting box! Awesome!

[@synthsamuraiproductions]

Man brother what an awesome video. Appreciate the work u put into stuff

[@dankeplace]

little late right? Bottom feeder as per usual.

[@moritz_schoenermann]

Loved the intro composition too!!!!

[@ScottWozniak]

0:00 Badass. Those sounds evoke Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4. Need that sample pack for my S2400! 🧡

[@marsupialmicron]

yep yep, it sounds a lot like that album

[@discodave6153]

I was going to say the very same thing, very E2-E4

[@AutPen38]

A search for the (cross modulated?) percussive sounds on E2-E4 is what ultimately led me to this video. Manuel definitely owned a Syncussion, so it seems that is precisely what was used for the iconic percussion on the legendary album. (The sampled chords and percs were also used as a hook of sorts by Sueno Latino).

[@Toolsquatch]

OoWEE an Alex Ball video about drum-synths!? Adore the things, getting a Korg ER-1 right around the time I got into LCD Soundsystem along with some electro artists from the 2000’s gave them a special place in my heart. Props on the instrumentals taking your work in new directions, the reggae track was an especially impressive demonstration people wouldn’t initially think of!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Gotta love a good drum synth and the varied styles of music they crop up in. Worth a dabble. ER-1 - still never used one of those. Did you keep hold of yours.

[@Toolsquatch]

@@AlexBallMusic Mr. Alex, I love my MK2 ER-1 so much that I didn’t even *hesitate* to pick Korg’s plugin version up when it was released just so I could have a virtual one live in my DAW; shockingly, the plugin delivers a pretty authentic experience!

[@JonMurray]

Hahaha! Brilliant mate. What a cool little drum synth too!

[@Vim-Wolf]

You already used my fave drummer joke. But anyhoo, no question about signing up for your patreon, we have to have someone who can look after all those wonderful classic synths with such love and respect, and happy to fund it a little.

[@mallery7]

Cool stuff! Your head bobbing takes it over the top ad well 😄

[@AlexBallMusic]

Once you bop, you just can't stop.

[@HalonOfficial]

What a great drum machine!

[@kagisokgabo3601]

I love your videos and humble personality in general.. Big Love from South Africa..

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@retro2409]

That dub demo is just tooooo good, i keep coming back to listen to it!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@808v1]

the evolution of this from its original intent to, well, all kinds of fun is great.

[@stevenparry83]

Very cool tracks! 👏😀

[@synthnerd4539]

I've got a Drum-X and can confirm it's a really good sounding unit. Analogue kits, but with digital control, and patch memories. Not sure how similar the electronics inside might be to the Syncussion, but I have a hunch they're based on similar stuff. Got a Psycox Syncussion clone and that's quite good too, though not without its quirks. Another fab set of demos sir, many thanks :)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Would love to try that one, looks intriguing. I might be able to access the Fightman at some point. Another odd ball from Pearl.

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

@@AlexBallMusic I got the Drm X, the best is the SC-40 ( among the one you filmed today)

[@truth4lies86]

Fire outro jam! 🔥⚡🕺🏾

[@sawsquaresinetube]

I love the sliders on the Syncussion. Don’t have anything else like it, smooth with a bit of resistance 👏🏼❤️

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, really nice build quality.

[@InFamousProductions]

Alex I love how you just Segway into song. so great. and that thing sounds really killer.

[@entropybentwhistle]

*segue…Segway is the 2 wheel cart company.

[@kabongpope]

Glad you mentioned Soft Cell, when you first came up in my recos I thought it said DAVE Ball! Realised early on that was wrong, but stuck around because your vids are great :)

[@joaquinmendozas]

came for the gear, stayed for the (superb) musicianship, as always =)

[@chadwixom]

Fantastic!

[@westerncivilization]

Love it when Industrial / EBM gets a shout out.

[@VEsound]

What a beast

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers! Yeah, the peculiar oscillator modes are quite unique to it. I thought it was worth demonstrating.

[@erikribeiro5772]

It's about time you setup Patreon. Another excellent video, Alex! I still hope to get teh Michigan Synth Works version of the SY-1 soon.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks Erik. Hoping it can help keep the videos going in the long run. Got lots of things I hope to be able to do. Thanks for signing up too. 🙂

[@AlexBallMusic]

Oh, and the Michigan Synth Works - yeah, curious about that one.

[@erikribeiro5772]

@@AlexBallMusic glad to support whatever enables you to keep making videos because your videos are among my favorites on KZbin. Keep doing what you do!

[@robertomarconi7342]

Manuel GÖttsching used it on E2-E4

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks for the info.

[@theoriginaldanalogue]

That track is a masterpiece.

[@GNeuman]

I've just imported a Pearl flanger pedal from Japan...it is insane.. Great vid as per usual, Alex

[@gropifiasco]

I use to have ALL the Pearl pedals (in the suitcase) Sell it for food. Musician ....

[@paulsmith1843]

So much joy.

[@mightyV444]

"Siebenties"! 😄👍 And what an interesting machine! 😀 A year later, I got my first real drum kit for Christmas, including a Pearl kick pedal and a snare drum with 'Pearl' printed on the batter head - I found out only several years later it actually was a Sonor! 😅 I did later also own drum machines like the Yamaha RX-21 and the Alesis HR-16, and I liked the latter in particular 😊

[@aptudo]

It's rare that I am shown a vintage synth associated with synth pop that I haven't heard of! This thing is great!

[@kevinhartnell2075]

What do you call a drummer in a suit? The defendant. Incredible video/music as usual!

[@nobodynoone2500]

Really dig the outro

[@XavierRadix]

What a cool little box of fun! It definitely has a different vibe compared to other analog drum synthesizers of that time.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, that setup of two oscillators with a six-way mode switch makes it unique from the off. Not seen another drum synth setup like that. On that note, I found out from my tech that the Simmons SDS-3 is just four self-oscillating filters. That way it doubles as the sine wave oscillators and the filters for the noise. Clever trick to avoid paying for separate oscillators.

[@XavierRadix]

@@AlexBallMusic I did not know that last fact. That's pretty clever indeed!

[@quietoutloud]

I love this shi-t,thx.these video's inspire me so much in my own music,thx again

[@vinniefray7299]

all bangers! got that touch!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you.

[@qrdnk]

What a fantastic item

[@AFULimited]

Made heaps of records with it in the early 90s and to this day and it is still a great and outstanding drum synth. I had mine modded with CV ins for each channel early on to use it with a sequencer as actual synth. Good that I still kept my four original ones ;-)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Nice! What's the collective noun for a group of Syncussions? A klang of Syncussions? A donk of Syncussions?

[@AlexBallMusic]

...and the mods sound perfect. It does need that.

[@AFULimited]

@@AlexBallMusic Hmm, a Techno-Band ? ;-)

[@markfordyce8376]

The Syncussion was one of my first drum synths and loved it. This is me playing it on Razzamatazz TV show in 1982 kzbin.info/www/bejne/naPYipaVgNhso7M I bought mine from Phil Collins and used it until I got a Simmons SDSV and then sold it to the drummer from Midnight Oil.

[@simoncarswell3515]

Fantastic! I'm of a 1982 sort of vintage but I don't remember that. I love it though! It "slaps", as the kids say.

[@chriswareham]

Wow, a long lost New Romantic gem! I love the way the keyboard player is miming brass stabs on a string synth that's incapable of producing those sounds. I assume his own gear was supplemented with other kit in the studio.

[@markfordyce8376]

@@chriswareham we decided on the day not to take the Prophet 5 or my Simmons kit as we were miming and wanted to travel light, of course never thought it would still be watched over 40 years later! 😂

[@distantcomets]

@Alexballmusic How have you not had a Patreon this whole time? Are you a masochist or some sort of English nobility? Your videos and music and rare instrument walkthroughs reflect SO MUCH WORK! It's an easy yes, please! Thanks for this and so many other incredible videos. Happy to start supporting!

[@AlexBallMusic]

I was too polite, trying to fund things myself or beg and borrow. It's become unsustainable, so to Patreon we go! Thank you for signing up btw!

[@distantcomets]

@@AlexBallMusic Oof! That Roland retrospective alone must have taken you ages! Thank you. Now stop doing that and ask us for money! You're making great high quality content!

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

Great sounding unit, as everything from the 70s. I have a Synare 3.

[@ciatangallaghe2485]

Class intro tune

[@Death_By_Media]

more bangers as always

[@endorphinsmusic]

Great head nod action at the end there

[@jumpstar9000]

had me worried

[@carlosserrano3985]

My favorite track was the reggae, Alex Rastaman, LOL! FYI, Bobby Z the former drummer of Prince was a user of the Syncussion, you can see it in the video of the song Controversy also I read somewhere that Prince used the SY-1 in 1999 and Little Red Corvette in conjunction with the LM-1. It's cool that you are bringing drum synthesizers and drum machines, a good one is a Movement Percussion Computer, that thing is extremely rare these days. Cheers!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Ooo tasty info. Thank you.

[@tonalaxis]

Fab intro!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@PWMaarten]

I’ve build my own eurorack clone with two extra ring mod like presets. The presets are scannable with CV. Love the sound of this device!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Crying out to be set up with CV ins, individual outs etc. Ring mod sounds tasty. Yeah, great sound. Unique thing.

[@AdamsOlympia]

Behringer really nailed the sound on their clone of this. The first of their drum machines I've been instantly sold on.

[@Crucial_Realm]

Kudos on the outro beat. Stank face activated.

[@SirNotAppearing]

I actually love the way it looks like Radio Shack reverb or mic/line mixer.

[@JayKaufman]

That dub reggae tune is brilliant! You just need a few 'Jah' and 'Rastafarai' vocals heavily tape echoed!

[@TheDeedeeFiles]

Awesome music

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@ewanuno]

Pearl also made annother drum synth, the drx-1 . Its a rack unit, all analog with the control section in descrete digital chips, i have one in for repairs at the moment.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, they did. Along with the Fightman and SC-40 (I now have one of those). Hope yours gets fixed!

[@tapeexperiments]

Yeah! 0:16 seconds in and we are groovin! 🙂👊

[@NineFourOneMedia]

I might have been hallucinating but I seem to remember Behringer floating the idea of a Syncussion clone not too long ago. Have DFAM and love that thing, that reminds me of this a little. Would love to have but I've never run across one of these things anywhere.

[@AlexBallMusic]

They did, yes. I mentioned it at the end of the video with the other clones. May see the light of day at some point. DFAM is ace.

[@bendyman]

@@AlexBallMusic They have posted a photo of the boxes - it looks like its happening www.synthtopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/behringer-syncussion-synthesizer.jpg

[@EannaButler]

Damn, that last jam was 👌👌

[@Gmartin4049]

Brillant.

[@kenschestok9515]

Didn’t see it mentioned in the comments but if I’m not mistaken Cevin key from skinny puppy just put out a eurorack module version of this a few months ago under his subconscious studio name

[@madagreement]

I wish I was Phill Collins... I can feel it coming in the hair...

[@AlexBallMusic]

..oh Lord...

[@BLTchemistry]

I like how you sounded like "Present Arms", UB40's second album there

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Alex: I like your hair cut. Two of my friends have made jokes along the lines of as we have got older, our hair has got shorter. I can remember the first time I saw a band playing live with a drum machine, I was absolutely scandalised. Keep up the good work.

[@AlexBallMusic]

The hair I have left is shorter. Hoping the Patreon can pay for a wig. 😉

[@ianwynne764]

@@AlexBallMusic You made me laugh. Thank you.

[@Oocca_Truth]

Fabulous video, great stuff Alex. This sounds a LOT like the synth drums used in the interlude on Edgar Winter's Frankenstein-- I almost wonder if it actually is. 👀

[@briankehew579]

Edgar is ALL Arp 2600. There are videos of them live if you wanna see how...

[@fer_fdi]

love it, I used it

[@OCEANSINSPACE]

re released for the Bear!, Hails, sick synth drums!

[@famitory]

i hope a company gets around to making a VST of the pearl sc-40. absolutley wild machine with some very unique sounds for a drum machine.

[@NgaTaeOfficial]

Love the Dub tune!!! Would love you see your take on dub techniques in a future video! How many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb? One. Two. Ah-one-two-three-four…

[@dav1dbone]

Did you hear about the drummer who took his dog paragliding before a gig at the Albert Hall? He didn't have time to walk him first, he flew over the roof and dropped a few clangers, the cleaning bill was nearly an hour's wages.

[@Terra101]

5:20 Man I enjoyed the heck outta that!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@DasHemdchen]

Is this Dub? is perfect, also Pearl Jam. Gems!

[@brucebennett5338]

"did you hear about the horrible plane crash?! four musicians and a drummer died." but seriously, some of the smartest and most talented musicians i've ever known are drummers.

[@pittan86]

Techno track was amazing mateeeeeeeeeeee!

[@AirArtStudiosOfficial]

I got the Eurorack version! So good