Vince Clarke studio tour - Waveshaper TV - IDOW archive series

[@WaveshaperMedia]

Planning to comment? If so please read: (1) this channel is moderated and we do not approve negative comments that don't offer constructive feedback. (2) in response to the many comments we've received that are critical about the video and the "interviewer," here's some points to consider: We filmed this segment strictly for "b-roll" - so that during Vince's interview in the documentary (I Dream Of Wires) we could cut away to shots of him showing his gear etc. Watching it through, we felt that it was interesting enough to share as is, and that many Vince fans would enjoy it, despite the fact that it was never meant to be watched as a standalone "interview." The interviewer (Jason Amm - also known as the electronic music artist Solvent) didn't ask questions as though they were meant to be on film, and so it was just casual banter. Some commenters have suggested that the interviewer is not well informed on the subject of synthesizers. Again, this was just meant to be casual, off-camera banter. Jason also conducted nearly all of the interviews in I Dream Of Wires, off camera, and we don't hear too many complaints about the quality of the interview content in the film. Vince also seemed to enjoy it as evidenced by the fact that he invited Jason out for a smoke afterwards, to continue the conversation after it was complete. (3) in response to the many comments we've received asking why there are no sound demos of the gear, please keep in mind that doing that would take several days of filming. Vince generously gave us many hours of his time for this interview. We're lucky he gave us that much time, let alone expect him to spend days with us. Plus, as mentioned above, this was filmed for "b-roll," never meant as a standalone video. Bottom line: if you don't like the video, don't watch it, and if you think you can do a better job of capturing Vince on film showing off his collection, then see if you can make it happen.

[@tomdalfonzo9959]

For all the work that he did with Depeche Mode, Yaz(oo), and Erasure, I can safely say that Vince Clarke is one of music's most supreme geniuses!!!! Vince Clarke really should make a Erasure/Yaz/Depeche Mode crossover album.

[@sec.1154]

Concordo. O Vicente deixou o nome na música mas não entendo o motivo de ter deixado o Depeche Mode.

[@Paulysin]

A very humble LEGEND with a beautiful mind who allows us to catch glimpses of it through his creations. Bless you Vincent!

[@darcy_taylor3103]

Vince Clarke - Genius Synthpop Music...Depeche Mode...The Assembly...Yazoo...Erasure...VCMG

[@XoXo475]

I’ve got absolutely no CLUE what they are talking about , but I watched every second of it .

[@paulking8275]

lol me too. The guy is a legend. So that’s all it took for me to keep watching

[@JagBetty]

It was like they were talking a different language…..😎

[@AdamMann3D]

Love Vince. Had the chance to meet him a few years ago.

[@KenKeisi]

Greetings from Russia! Thank you very much for the opportunity to immerse yourself in the everyday life of a great musician. I love to listen to good music from various bands, rock, pop and a little rap)) And British music in General I think is a legislator in the world. Almost everything else is an imitation of her. Adore listen to PSB and Erasure, a small son in three years liked humming "Divided by, divided by")) He've heard this music in automobile. And my wife with musical education heard Erasure was very surprised by such a good, memorable music. Vince Clarke, his talent is certainly based on the hard work of many years, I really like all his music. In the old days minstrels roamed England and played music to the people, Vince reminds me of their leader))

[@tangerine825]

Mr Vincent Clarke - Genius Of Synthpop ! Depeche Mode/Yazoo/The Assembly/Erasure...Greets From Poland ;-)

[@handznet]

Robert Marlow😉

[@jlsutton4819]

What a genius I love Vince Clarke. 😍

[@Dykhouse]

I have no idea how Vince takes those and turns them into my favorite music. Mind boggled.

[@Belguimofficial]

So cool this video! Appreciate Vince letting us see into his world for a few minutes to get a peek into what gets his juices flowing. He’s the synth-pop mad scientist that has produced some of the best musical electronic sounds EVER. He’s the nicest guy to boot! I was fortunate enough to meet him and he was so kind and generous with his time as was Andy. Brilliant, that’s all I can say about all he has accomplished and influenced professionally.

[@rdubb77]

Vince is underneath it all, a composer devoted to counterpoint. His sound is like a baroque musician who has synthesizers.

[@rbrtck]

You absolutely nailed what I think is Vince's greatest musical strength (he has many), and it is evident in nearly all of his music, even in early Depeche Mode songs such as "Any Second Now" (especially the instrumental version) and "Dreaming of Me".

[@sonidonazcadj]

the father of synth pop

[@WaveshaperMedia]

@Adam Mark - Glad you enjoyed our studio tour with Vince Clarke. Thanks for your suggestion of a studio tour with Mike MacNiel of Simple Minds. We would certainly be open to producing a video like that.... The good news: I actually know someone who is part of Simple Minds' inner circle, so I could probably make it happen. The bad news: we're not a big-budget production company who can simply afford to fly to Scotland (we're based in Toronto Canada) in order to produce a free-to-stream KZbin video. Please consider supporting our work on Patreon - once we get enough financial support there, we will definitely consider putting some of our earnings towards traveling to visit some synth gods overseas: www.patreon.com/waveshapertv

[@FatalFriction]

Waveshaper Media thanks!

[@polly6336]

This is brilliant, thank you for sharing! Vince The Genius Clarke is a legend!

[@nigelcarren]

Looking at that lot what is clear is that Vince Clarke must have at least one soldering Iron! I wrote some sketches for The Pet Shop Boys back in the early 90's, and one of my tracks (Something I used to Do) had the working title 'Dry Joint'. I still think this is a great title for anyone who knows retro-gear and has had to fix it whilst the studio clock is ticking. In the end the dry-joint was such a great effect I was later forced to emulate it with a frayed cable and some tin-foil. As a teenager I did my YTS (youth training scheme for non Brits) at Ashlex Music in Rugby Warwickshire, and I was allowed to take home any scrap-kit (one early Moog and a couple of Yamaha Slop-fronts, which I wired to a Lesley Speaker). The Pet Shop Boys went with Go-West (which dates the whole episode) instead of my track but I came close I tell you. I plan to bung it on KZbin myself this year just for kicks because O am not done yet, still writing. Early Vince Clarke and Vangelis are major influences for me so this was a joy to see. Thank you and BRAVO Vince 🏆

[@SamiJumppanen]

Cool! Dry-joint and PSB! Please, put the track out :)

[@jennyadventure2]

This is a great video! Vince Clarke is an absolute genius ! And I love Erasure ✨🎶

[@Mooli]

Absolute synth God!

[@synthof]

That Roland System 700 was used to create DM- Enjoy The Silence Bassline ( By Alan Wilder ; Flood's Roland Modular System 700 ) And Vince Clarke; a walking legend, synth master, Thanks for the video

[@Chevytravelleruk]

not according to Alan.. Minimoog and ARP2600 triggered by ARP sequencer

[@tracyyy99]

What a down to earth guy is Vince Clark...Synth master.

[@ticupponee]

Watching the whole video was worth it for that little grin at the end.

[@panamuse]

Love how Vince keeps bringing up stability. So endearing!

[@rbrtck]

Well, he has so many vintage analog synths, none of which are very stable (well, except for a few, like the Roland Jupiter-8, Juno-60, and Juno-106, for example), so keeping them in tune has got to be quite a chore and/or expense. The more stable a synth is, the more likely he is to like it and use it, although obviously that is not the only consideration. He has so many synths that he complains about in this regard that he must like their sound quite a lot. If he doesn't, then out it goes.

[@dep1001]

Awesome! Gotta love him, and what an amazing studio! Thanks for the vid

[@shadowbanned5164]

Vince Clarke is a synth genius huge HUGE influence on me growing up and still my favorite kind of music.

[@clareb8015]

Vince is incredibly gifted plus he is from Essex. Love him.

[@MrAnalogg]

That was awesome! Thank for you sharing.

[@COTOHAXX]

Fact,you may forget: Vince and Fletch are actual founders of DM. Rest in peace, Andrew.

[@timchurchill6975]

vince humble man.

[@TheLillypillies]

This is so interesting. We covered "only you" but we didn't want to let go of the awesome analogue sounds so we kept them in our version. Legend Vince.

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

Man, that was cool. Thanks Jason!

[@Pete_Delfina]

I saw Vince in 1980 in The Hague with Depeche Mode. 💜💜💜

[@tangerine825]

Mr Vincent Clarke - Synthpop Pioneer ! Greets From Poland ;-)

[@JagBetty]

And here I am quite content with my Roland Juno and VA 5

[@TransistorBrothersMusic]

Oh for just a day in Vince Clarke's studio...

[@MarkoStatues]

Dudes a G.D. genius !!!! He essentially defined the sound of the '80's...No doubt...

[@railgap]

Three major bands he defined the sound for and in many cases (most?) he composed many (most?) melodies for the group, but nobody wanted to talk about him: only Andy, David, or Alison. :) I get the impression he might have preferred it that way. Getting him to open up is like pulling teeth.

[@vbm8475]

Thank you for this!!

[@RoofLight00]

To be fair, Vince started out with fuck all and a couple of old monosynths and was really good at what he did. Write catchy songs.

[@Martin-mf1dn]

RoofLight00 true. He says in one of the interview videos that having the equipment is great but ultimately it’s about the song and the ideas. It’s no good getting lost in the gear.

[@rbrtck]

@@Martin-mf1dn Yep, and that's why he doesn't keep around any synths that he doesn't actually use, anymore. He went through a collector phase, but is mostly over that now, except for some treasured relics from his past, like Depeche Mode's original drum machine.

[@paulbergel9191]

What a cool collection of synths! He should start a Brooklyn Synth Museum and give tours!

[@waynebeasley7637]

Huge erasure fan from day one hence being here. However, I have no idea what he’s talking about but sounds great

[@beatatomaszewska5009]

Happy Birthday Vince !

[@JelteNoordveld]

His voice reminds me of David Bowie

[@thurstonmurru]

British

[@sirjellybeans1st19]

It does have a very similar tone

[@martinburke9178]

Correct SE London Bromley v Essex pronunciation.

[@StevieZero]

@@thurstonmurru English

[@fluorosco]

In no way a bad thing ❤

[@syrupcore]

"Obviously, what's _really_ cool about it is it's stable" - experience

[@dpatterson1489]

Thanks for the music Vince!

[@robertgarscadden]

I've been a fan since 1981.i,m watching this waiting for Vince to put them on.

[@galwaytribesman9289]

Vince is a synth genius.

[@revolutronic]

nice collection! synth curator by heart

[@Modenut]

Happy 60th birthday Vince. You legend! (fun fact - Jean-Michel Jarre used the EMS VCS3 extensively on Oxygene and Equinoxe to generate the white noise breathing/wave type sounds) Also, if you like "I Dream of Wires" (and you should) then you will like another documentary called "Kraftwerk and The Electronic Revolution". Find it, watch it, love it. :)

[@Hypnosister]

God, I can only dream of having a day in that playground

[@joelizquierdo8624]

I wouldn’t leave my house if I had a collection like yours Vince.

[@juno6]

Thanx!

[@thestrengthwithin4249]

not many people know this but Vince Clarke has a middle name and it is genius 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@ianfielding6840]

OK what is vinces real. Name

[@kornofulgur]

@@ianfielding6840 Vincent John Martin.

[@wavesequencer]

Would have been nice to hear each of these - interesting tour anyway.

[@TRANZEURO]

It would be funny if Depeche Mode, Yazoo ,and Erasure were all inducted in the RRHOF in the same year.Then Vince would have to get up three times and make three different speeches.

[@rbrtck]

Well, he didn't show up for his Depeche Mode induction. Vince was definitely invited, was inducted, and got his little trophy and everything, but he chose not to participate publicly (it was a Zoom session because of COVID-19 at the time). The exact same goes for Alan Wilder, too. The three current band members at the time (including Fletch, RIP 😢) thanked both Vince and Alan, though. Alan didn't release a public statement, but Vince said that he was only with Depeche Mode for a short time, and therefore didn't deserve to be recognized, since it was the others who made the band what they were and are. Hmmm...while he's not wrong, without Vince there would be no DM, and he was the main driving force at the beginning who made them successful, which is why he was inducted. He didn't turn down the induction, but didn't feel entitled to public recognition. Vince is not big on speeches, anyway. Not long ago, he had won some other kind of award, and he did show up online to accept it. Andy Bell was also online, and gave a lovely, heartfelt, heartwarming 10-minute speech on Vince's career and their work together. Then Vince finally came on, popped open a bottle of beer, took a swig of beer from the bottle, smiled, and said "Cheers!"--that was it. 😆

[@hawsrulebegin7768]

Wow. Imagine that was your own studio. That’s one hell of a collection.

[@paulspydar]

wow... makes me cry , the day I sold all my equipment for a fraction & still havnt replaced any of it .. damn you cash!!!!

[@impablomations]

I had to do the same to finance a move to the other end of the country. £10k+ gear and nothing left apart from an old Korg N5.

[@final_mile_music9713]

Sorry to here that mate. On the plus side though, you can get going again relatively cheap given the glut of new stuff like the Behringer stuff. Hope you get up and running again.

[@bwuh]

YES!

[@inationrecords7488]

Good video, but... what's the use if they're not hooked up so we can hear them....?!?!?

[@Paulysin]

They are all hooked up. 11:15 he asks about it

[@RaquelFoster]

OMG it looks like a regular guy with a Traktor controller on the table but then he's got an 8-voice on the wall... A 2500... The '70s E-Mu modular...

[@rbrtck]

It looks like his custom SEM rack has 10 SEMs, so it's more like a 10-voice!

[@sunwavemusicfactory5085]

Nice Video - well i love everything with Vince tbh :)

[@garyseymour9672]

Really good to hear VC talk about his collection of Keyboards, would love to hear him talk about his MIDI controllers, he could start with the BBC Model B

[@bertvdlast]

Wet dream of any synth nerd!🥰

[@Shivotheque]

And amongst all those vintage,expensive monsters..an M-Audio Venom tucked on the lower shelf...

[@themushieman]

Like mine

[@carlosserrano3985]

And his legendary Casio CZ-101.

[@rbrtck]

The Juno-60 and Juno-106 are also pretty inexpensive synths (for the time) that he owns, even though they are legendary. The same goes for the Oberheim SEM, which he owns, as well.

[@rbrtck]

@@carlosserrano3985 Yeah, we can't forget the CZ-101, which by the way is a great sounding synth of its basic type. All of Vince's cheap synths sound pretty great.

[@jaggass]

I think Vince used the Roland System 100M on the Chorus album.

[@jaggass]

Actually i think it may have been the Roland System 700 because i seen it in a video when Erasure played a demo of Perfect Stranger and Chorus kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYLde5h8m72JZs0 . Ive also seen it on the music video to Stop as well.kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHrNoKSjg5qnr9k. On a side note i was obsessed with the Chorus album and Chorus itself as a kid. I loved all the noises on it.

[@valley_robot]

And here is me with my “cheap” setup that’s worth £2000.00. My last purchase , the korg microsampler made me eat noodles for a month to pay for it , ah the life of an unsuccessful musician eh

[@final_mile_music9713]

Just write tunes with what you have. The more kit-obsessed you get, the more time spent watching these videos, reading reviews and scrolling through presets. I’m actively trying to just play more. And yet here I am! 😂

[@ddot2016]

When I listened to music in the eighties who knew there was a man wiring a switchboard behind it all. Legend has it instructions for how to use synthesizers are engraved on the Rosetta Stone, in hieroglyphics.

[@paulbuswell6566]

Love Vince. especially the DM, Yazoo and early Erasure years. I think we can take one thing away from this video. Old modular oscillators are not very temperature stable! Magnificent collection though.

[@5roundsrapid263]

Paul Buswell I adore Yazoo. It might be his best era.

[@adammark5660]

We need Mike's macniel studio tour please guys...

[@grahamdougherty226]

Nice studio. I love the wood great for sound.

[@darcy_taylor3103]

Vincent John Martin She's A Synthpop Pioneer ! Greets from Poland :)

[@edwardferry8247]

The publicity blurb around his new album 2023 suggests modular gear was somehow new to him. Why they spin these narratives and then link it to some navel exploring self-revelatory process throughout lockdown is hard to understand. He’s a great artist, here is his new work, imagine if it was simply that, imagine it was as straightforward as he is. Ps Thank you for this amazing and insightful video.

[@jmdavison62]

He hadn't been working with Eurorack modules until the COVID-19 pandemic, at which time he started to dive into them. He's said as much in interviews promoting _Songs of Silence_ . Unfortunately, the basement studio shown in this video is no more. Vince Clarke sold his Park Slope, Brooklyn townhouse and moved to a loft in TriBeCa, Manhattan.

[@rbrtck]

That's the media for you, always more interested in telling their fictional stories than actually giving us the facts. 😬🙄

[@rbrtck]

@@jmdavison62 Mostly true. Vince has had a modest Doepfer A-100 system in his studio for some years, which he's played with a bit. This video correctly identifies it as a Eurorack Modular, located between his ARP 2600s and Korg PS-3300, and it has a few patch cords plugged in, so he's used it some. He just really hadn't seriously gotten into it until more recently, and of course he's expanded his Eurorack system by now. With his space being more limited now and his interest in Eurorack finally really piqued, I've heard that this is the only hardware synth he has been using of late. But my point is that he's had a few of these modules for years and has been using them to some extent.

[@Lethoscorpia]

Remember well buying my first synth, a casio CZ101, I was so happy - DM/OMD/NO/HL/Y were such big inspirations to me. This collection is amazing, I would love to know if he ever uses soft synths (probably not)? If he uses a DAW ? What he records it all on to ? Amazing set up - thank for posting :-)

[@indepthphoto4351]

Lethoscorpia mine too, still have it somewhere

[@JM-5150]

He uses logic.

[@botany500kojak]

There is footage of him using a CZ101 from back in the day.

[@rbrtck]

Vince actually did get heavily into soft-synths at one point, albeit it was more out of necessity than anything else. He and Andy had an album to record, and the New York apartment he lived in at the time didn't have room for his analog synths, which were still back in the UK and needed new power supplies to be used in the US anyway. So having finally converted to modern tools like Logic anyway, he looked into using soft-synths, and not expecting much, I think he was pleasantly surprised at how good they were. He used them almost or perhaps completely exclusively for _Nightbird_ , which he also produced on his own--it is the only Erasure album to prominently feature soft-synths and the only one that is self-produced, as well, I think. Afterward, Vince even designed a soft-synth himself, so I think he kind of liked them, especially for their convenience, as all he needed was his Mac laptop and a basic recording booth (which he did have in this apartment) to do practically all of the work. However, once Vince finally got all of his beloved analog synths stateside and set up in The Cabin, his then-new studio in the woods of Maine, where he had moved, he fell in love with their sound all over again, and seems to have put aside soft-synths for the most part, if not entirely. They're convenient, no doubt, but they don't sound quite right to Vince, and neither does _Nightbird_ . Personally, I love that album, but I can sort of see (or rather hear) what he means--the soft-synths sound fantastic and clearly Vince had learned to master them (especially since he produced the album himself), but they do sound a bit, uh, clinical for an Erasure album--maybe a little too perfect. There is something in the very nature of analog synths that subjectively sounds a bit less predictable and "warmer" (a loaded, vague term, I realize) in terms of subtle imperfections. Now Vince is back in New York (Brooklyn), of course, and here we see his eye-watering analog synth collection in the basement of his home, which is much larger than the apartment he had lived in previously. I doubt he'd bother much with soft-synths anymore with all of this vintage awesomeness to twiddle, although I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility that he'd occasionally use a soft-synth to get a particular sound, especially if it's not available in an actual physical form.

[@rbrtck]

Correction to my comment: the Erasure album "Light at the End of the World" also sounds a bit "clinical" so I looked into it, and it turns out that while it was written and produced after Vince had moved to Maine, this was before he had managed to set up his Cabin studio there, so he was still using soft-synths at this point and on this album in addition to "Nightbird". I think he got even better at using them, but as I said there is a missing raw or organic quality to the sound. Don't get me wrong, these albums sound fantastic and Vince did not miss a step despite using this relatively new technology, but they do sound different and Vince prefers the less mathematically perfect, perhaps more interesting sound of his real synths (especially the analog ones, of course).

[@eamon5468]

I notice he has a microkorg right above a dsi mopho. Imagine he uses them together. Nice to think I use some of the same set ups as Vince Clark.

[@furthermoore1863]

Give my left ball to have a look around there

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

Great video (I also liked the one with Cevin Key). A Synton Syrinx, I have seen only one in my whole life! Bit surprized Vince doesn't have any Moog.

[@rbrtck]

He used to have a Moog Modular, if I remember correctly, but he eventually got rid of it because he couldn't keep it in tune--this drove him crazy, I recall him saying, and he hadn't been using it much anyway.

[@rbrtck]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Vince still has a Minimoog, which I believe is visible in the corner at 3:47.

[@rbrtck]

Correction: Vince actually has *two* Minimoogs. He also has a Moog Source.

[@Mooli]

PS.. Have you guys done an interview/ walkthrough with David Frank. I would say he's the US 80's synth god, who also helped define the 80's sound.

[@herbertschmidt1719]

intriguing to watch but... why don't they make any sound? "is this a unique-sounding synth?" - "I think so, yeah." -- but why don't we get to hear it?

[@WaveshaperMedia]

Hi - we spent several hours filming with Vince, which was already a generous amount of time he gave to us. What you're asking for would take several days of filming to capture. Also, this was only filmed as "b-roll" for the documentary - visuals to show during the interview. It wasn't meant as a standalone video but since we had it, we decided to share.

[@alistairsteadman3765]

Vince is the Guv’nor.

[@lisaleone2296]

LOVE this

[@roncook8491]

Top guy vince pure class

[@BeaVizcarra]

Talk about talent

[@Sotangy247]

The King

[@SpeccyMan]

Did I spy a Theremin to the front left of the Roland System-700?

[@WaveshaperMedia]

Yes, good catch! Not sure what he was using it for - probably using the CV-outs to control the System 700.

[@craigie13]

I wonder if he still has the Casio CZ101s he used away back when.

[@WaveshaperMedia]

I didn't see any.

[@finebalance]

I still have mine! It doesn't look like Vince is a big fan of digital synths. Cool video.

[@ben1210]

Didn't he sell a boatload of stuff at auction a few years ago? Maybe they went then?

[@offworldnetwork]

@@WaveshaperMedia you wasn't looking properly ;-) its there to the right of the PRO 5 underneath the Oberheim CEM

[@slipknotboy555]

@@offworldnetwork Good catch! Yep, looks like there's one under the rack of *SEMs, heh

[@maydaygoingdown5602]

Vince interesting Clark for you folks:).

[@Nosh_Feratu]

where would you like him to start his cartwheels?

[@sec.1154]

- Eu gosto muito quando o Vicente sorri.

[@jmdavison62]

Why'd you have to leave Park Slope, Vince? COME BACK!

[@rbrtck]

Obviously I'm not speaking for Vince, but I think he needed a change since his wife passed away. Maybe his former home in Park Slope just had too many reminders, and he wanted a fresh start in this respect. I wouldn't, but everyone is different, and he needs to do what's best for himself and his son Oscar.

[@reedcrisis]

Old people love synthesizers.

[@NeuronalAxon]

_I_ love synthesisers.

[@MOONRAKER1922]

Reed Crisis 🤣 you’ll be old too buddy if your lucky 🍀 good shit is good shit though. Old stuff can’t be beat in a lot of ways and still used today by artists in the know.

[@DaveS-Ace]

No chat about the beautiful JP8000, what a shame. 😭

[@Mr_ToR]

Yea I was wondersing why the hell would he keep it there among all the other proper synths...

[@Mr_ToR]

supersaw 🤮

[@rbrtck]

@@Mr_ToR Well, Vince has other digital and virtual analog synths, such as the Clavia Nord Lead (rack version now--he used to have the keyboard), PPG Wave 2.2, Waldorf Microwave, Korg M1, and Akai samplers. He used to own a Fairlight CMI. Oh yeah, I think he still has his Roland D-50, although if I remember correctly, he eventually sold his Yamaha DX7, which he didn't like all that much. He also uses software synths such as Absynth on occasion. So he's not a 100% analog synth purist and never has been, although his signature sound is obviously very analog, and so are the vast majority of the synths he uses. Vince has also occasionally used real acoustic instruments (played by session musicians and recorded, not from samples) in his songs, by the way, so he hasn't been 100% electronic, either.

[@NathanChisholm041]

Theres one at my local guitar shop selling for $500 aud atm...

[@muppetpaster]

I see 7 systems I have too, most from new.

[@MrDude200001]

Haha. Love ya, Vince.

[@niptodstan]

I’m glad I just plug my guitar in and play

[@karaloca]

Some guitar players like to own many guitars. I’m sure even Vince just reaches for a guitar too sometimes.

[@rbrtck]

@@karaloca Vince composes mostly on acoustic guitar and microcassette recorder (or maybe digital these days), but he's not really a type of musician who plays. Sometimes he composes on a sequencer, instead. He's one of those anti-musicianship pop artists. :) Not that he's against musicians, he's just not a very good player of instruments, and he'd be the first one to tell you that. But hey, Hans Zimmer is of the same ilk, and has nonetheless had a spectacular, award-winning film composing career, much like how Vince has had a spectacular pop songwriting career.

[@DonHalli]

Very clever man.

[@furthermoore1863]

The Spinal Tap 'it goes to 11 moment' kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6WUkoJvm696e5o

[@iannieman]

The slot in the 700 is to hold the user manual :)

[@Lichfeldian--Suttonian]

Hey Vince, get Jean-Michel Jarre to show you how to use the EMS VCS3!

[@MarkoStatues]

Pretty sure Vince already has firm ground there mate...

[@silliussodus7439]

Are you aware they have made a song together? If not just look it up. It's called Automatic parts 1 and 2.

[@rbrtck]

@@MarkoStatues Yeah, you're right, he knows how to use it. We can't take statements of this nature from Vince in particular too literally. Sometimes he gives the impression that he has no idea what he's doing, but then in another video, like this one, he'll point out some quirk or other about a synth, like the VCS 3, that shows he knows exactly what he's doing. He says he's baffled, but what he really means is that he has no idea why it works this way instead of some other way that would have made a lot more intuitive sense. And he's right about the VCS 3 (and the Synthi A/AKS), as you do have to be aware of the weird way the inputs and outputs are labeled and handled. I know from using a VST version. It baffled me, too, until I figured it out, and I'm still baffled over why it's designed this way, but I can use it now. Vince is also right, in my opinion, about this synth not sounding "musical". It's terrific for creating weird, otherworldly sound effects, but unlike, say, the Jupiter-8, it's pretty hard to get anything that sounds naturally "musical" out of it. Vince actually uses his VCS 3 quite a bit, and on practically every Erasure album, but usually in ways that are deliberately non-musical, which he is quite good at, of course. He is also quite good at making and using musical sounds with other synths, and combining it with the non-musical effects. That's why he's an innovative musical genius (if a sometimes baffled one 😉).

[@davidtuck]

When is the Jack Dangers video going up ?

[@WaveshaperMedia]

If you're hoping to see the I Dream Of Wires archive released in full, including Jack Dangers, please consider supporting the channel via Patreon: patreon.com/waveshapertv - we're big MBM fans and it was incredible to meet him and get some in-person demos of his incredible collection of gear.

[@SlowCarToChina]

How does he actually use all that stuff? Does he just rock up to one of those synths with his laptop sequencer and plug into the nearest MPU101?

[@BasariStudios]

Lol! Ill get blind in there or lose my mind.

[@Mooli]

Some of those modular synths look so bloody complicated. Great synth porn though , and Vince is da man

[@grimlund]

They look absolutely insane. Like something from a space rocket or something.

[@rbrtck]

You get to modulate virtually anything with anything else, and you can add all of the modules you want, too. Want 20 oscillators? Then buy 20 oscillators, and do whatever you want with them. I think the hardest part might be figuring out where to start! By the way, take a look at Martin Gore's two walls filled with modern Eurorack modules. 😳 Given Depeche Mode's current sound, though, darned if I can tell that any of this massive pile of equipment has actually been used. Any *one* of Martin's impressive collection of vintage non-modular synths could handle that light duty. I guess he's still in his collector phase.

[@quantumeseboy]

What the... The guy hasn't aged since the early 90s.