Willie Burns and his E-mu SP12 Turbo - Gear Guide

DJ Haus caught up with WiIlie Burns (L.I.E.S / Trilogy Tapes) to talk about his job at legendary NYC digging institution THE THING + plus shows us the process of making his WIllie Burns tracks using the SP12 Turbo which defines his sound.
FREE TRACK: Download the track 'Woo Right' creating during the shoot, forthcoming on vinyl Unknown To The Unknown Jan 2014
/ willie-burns-woo-right-og
Filmed by Stephanie Neptune

[@kowboiiproductions3881]

Anyone who thinks to make a negative comment on this video or Artist please first consider - this guy is one of the most knowledgeable people there is about the type of music he makes, and an incredibly capable producer, and potentially one of the best DJs in the world.

[@thentheyplayedDio]

"its kind of ridiculous but were gonna do it anyway" -- my new production mantra

[@H4NDCRAFTED]

Best looking sampler ever built, a perfect wedge with sliders. So pleasing to my eye and a sound all of its own.

[@legendsflashback]

It's father is linn9000

[@daillmeskin]

gave me the feel of some old school 88 or 89 house music.

[@Digiphex]

A talented person could make an instant hit on his iPhone, but antiquated technologies are so beautiful to look at and touch.

[@DeepSociety]

An Iphone will never sound like this baby here

[@Fluxwithit]

This is an interesting statement considering an iPhone can do far more. Has about 100000x the sample memory etc lol. I do love vintage gear but the statement comes off as though it would be easier on vintage gear, when the opposite is quite true.

[@andy80sdrums]

Deep Society was referring to the fact that this gear sounds massive compared to any crappy iPhone. Workflow is another thing. An SP-12 or an Emulator II will blow any virtual instrument out of the water any day. I must admit that I have tried to compose using iPads and iPhones or whichever virtual instrument there is nowadays including Kontakt, which for me turned out to be an absolute waste of time and resources. With the exception of a few things hardware is faster and better for me. But it really depends on the person I guess.

[@dhampex3631]

Agreed! Plus the workflow on the vintage gear you gotta work hard on,, thats the beauty about working with vintage gear,, it requires you to think ahead and kinda pre plan due to limitations, for example the sp also made you think about sample time, how much can you cram in depending what model sp you had and find other ways to make more time I.E. Pete rock sampling source at the speed of 45 and playing it back at a normal speed, thus sacrificing audio quality over time. Thinking was an art form back then with these gear but the results had good grease in the recording adding flavor. Now by having too much together like the iPhone iPad and computer software can make things somewhat harder, but its like you don't have to think about these things anymore,,,which can take away from the creative side. Both are good in there own right but i find it fun to work with analog old gear, cause thats what i grew up on and i love the results coming out of it. Different strokes for different folks.

[@spearPYN]

beautiful... simplicity is the key to create good music... most todays producers forget about it.

[@perfectthetech]

I think people are missing the point of this video. To me, at least, it seems that the point is to show what a workflow is like on the SP-12. He is not necessarily trying to wow you with a track he makes on the machine. He even said that he's just going to make something up on the spot in the video using the random sounds he had before. I'll admit, the song is not amazing, but seeing the SP-12 in action is. And that, in my opinion, is the point of this video.

[@MusicChemo]

+fooloof it's a lot more than just 12 bit sound, it's also the pitching algorithm which causes a lot of interesting sounding aliasing. also most of the outs run through a kinda unique sounding filter circuit

[@perfectthetech]

fooloof That's all great. But for someone who doesn't have an SP-12 and is simply obsessed with gear, seeing the thing in action is enough to entice me. That's why I think this video was uploaded in the first place. Additionally, it adds more content related to the SP-12 to the Internet. It sounds like you know a bit more about the machine then I do so it seems like you would like more information from this video, which is fine - this probably just is not the video you were looking for. Cheers, bud!

[@lavishdeluna6099]

Beautiful little video; it played like a seven-minute documentary. I like this channel more and more.

[@FelixPatek]

Amazing Limitation for an Ableton Dude. How does he "delay" and "fx" those "FM-Bass-Pluck-Sounds"?? Sounds super wild and cool in the loop

[@DeepSociety]

"Turbo" is such a nice outdated Knight Rider term, i love it

[@CLVBDRVGS]

Willie burns is rad.

[@johnnybagwash2456]

WHY HAS HE GOT WILLIE BURNS ? TRY USING LUBRICANT NEXT TIME

[@johnnybagwash2456]

how do you mean winner did you like the comment

[@johnnybagwash2456]

if my name was willie burns I wouldn't tell everybody on youtube (there's a lot of funny people about)

[@johnnybagwash2456]

BOG OFF SISSY MAID 79

[@johnnybagwash2456]

could you write your insults using English google translator wont work for your twaddle sissy made 78 and a half

[@johnnybagwash2456]

hello sissy knickers nobody cares where you live or where your trailor park is, NOBODY CARES YOU MUPPET

[@DJDigitalJosh]

00:56 How many times do I have to tell you Willie? Get your feet of the Records! Ya Bro! Ya! Your working up stairs! Go!

[@marguskiis7711]

All the house, hip hop, techno stuff started with such a machine?

[@Eekolooginen]

Hip Hop started by dj`s looping records on turntables. Hip hop beat making started when people realised that they can sample records into samplers. Samplers like E-mu and AKAI mpc`s. The first who realised it was DJ Marley Marl if i remember correct.

[@robertcrystals]

How'd he get so many samples in there in 5 seconds? And how did he delete the stock sounds? Did he burn his own EEPROMs? Questions for a 8 year old video

[@beehman3627]

So I have an SP-12 and have NO IDEA how to UL sounds into it... Can anyone help?? tnx!!

[@themanfromanotherplace4553]

Just started listening electronic music and I'm trying to understand it. I'm wondering what's difference between using analogue gear to produce or using just a daw and midi controllers. I know it would be a better experience seeing somebody in a show playing live with all his gear but if I just play a song in my ipod or whatever, I could tell the difference? do these things sound really different from each other ?

[@nobodyneverknows]

+Themanfromanotherplace yes. Wors or better, you name it. Some people like it. I like it. They do sound different. If you like them, go for it. If you make better tunes with it, stick with it. If not, find whats good for you. There is a certain war about it. Still, its about the music. But yes, some thing are unigue like this old school synth/sampler sound. For those who lived during those maschines were hot, this is the proper sound and vst is not so good for them.

[@daniellewis6344]

why ask all these internet dorks and instead just buy some gear and hop to it

[@jesse230able]

Was this color graded with davinci? Well done

[@miprovatas]

"Willie Burns - Woo Right" on Unknown to the Unknown

[@linderpurperhart507]

What is the track that comes on at 2.30 ?

[@samikalastaja]

What track is playing at the beginning of this video?

[@consoler111]

Willie Burns - Adverbs & Adjectives, found it on beatport as part of the Woo Right EP :)

[@hollidaykedik8647]

I want to know this too!

[@Sonicade]

Track: Willie Burns ‎- Woo Right

[@unclesam530]

that guy is the coolest

[@k-b9253]

YOU SURE YOUR NOT GROOT?

[@townwide_tyler]

What is the song for intro?

[@fishsticksrule9]

killin it fact mag.

[@GhettoVader]

Impressed with the records,, Ghetto Vader buys some 1 bin records from here. He Used them on his WZA record, nice vid,

[@RFPro]

Pro Tip: Listen to any you dont know.. Got it!

[@bizarrowxrld2089]

I like that intro beat🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@dxtrs_mnpltr]

Where can i find the samples used here? Anyone?

[@noahc.6901]

Pay pal me 30, Ill tell you

[@futuredubs]

does anyone know what synth that signature Burns bass comes from? plays it around 4:06

[@gamegod193]

Most likely a Korg M1 Organ sample

[@user-hi2jr5og2z]

where can i find some piano samples like that

[@matiasss550]

where do i download the track?

[@Sonicade]

Willie Burns ‎- Woo Right EP

[@FinleyGomez]

How much would one of them cost? new and 2nd hand

[@tasteslikeawesome]

+Finley Gomez The cost of a time machine if you want a new one. 2k usd used

[@FinleyGomez]

+tasteslikeawesome damn, I thought it was only gonna be 500 or so Euros. But thanks

[@lownrgy]

+Finley Gomez it was a decade ago, lowest sp-1200's at that time about a grand

[@FinleyGomez]

***** Fuck, thats expensive

[@FinleyGomez]

***** Can you get like knock offs of it or clones? or something that sounds the same but cheaper

[@StevePittard]

Sounds like he used a Paul Stanley vocal sample

[@matthewbutcher2931]

Impressive how he turned those horrid sounding samples into something pretty dope. :)

[@legendsflashback]

It's a sp12 turbo you mean?

[@maxmeier532]

So the dude uses an sp12 and a mac to make Roland 808 house:)?

[@Anmaelden]

first guy i see producin house music on a e-mu sp

[@bizarrowxrld2089]

Anmaelden 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@worksafe3441]

I feel like quite a bit of French house was done this way!

[@lgpatterson6259]

Daft Punk used the SP 1200

[@netradioheyu]

how did he fit all those sounds into 5 seconds of sampling time...wtf!??

[@netradioheyu]

damn thats smart

[@hollidaykedik8647]

Anyone know the track at the beginning?

[@zaner210]

Willie Burns "Adverbs & Adjectives" from the Woo Right EP

[@albertlopez2762]

this is an SP12, not an SP1200 (which was way better).

[@futuredubs]

fun machine.... for $1200....

[@VincentsVideoVisions]

$1200 if youre lucky...

[@texmontana420]

Good equipment is worth the investment in my opinion

[@acidkriminalakaramiro3114]

is it me or does willie burns look high as a kite

[@bizarrowxrld2089]

Ramiro Lopez he is

[@Thebadmansmileydan]

Own up, give that SP to someone useful

[@elifan2523]

That is so out of key, but I like how the SP1200 simply things.

[@H4NDCRAFTED]

Loads of old tracks are out of tune, it's not always a bad thing. Perfection has no soul.

[@IMKLASH]

He looks sooo high

[@Schodboyblves]

what accent is that

[@bizarrowxrld2089]

batboy From Utah, New York

[@leeradmall6409]

It is confirmed. That is the most irritating sample in the history of the SP-1200. I do love the noise of the buttons clicking - almost as though he is beating the track into submission.

[@stef25ify]

Where's his accent from?

[@bizarrowxrld2089]

stef25ify Idaho, Kentucky

[@C86-x5r]

'I found this piece of crap in a dumpster, that's what makes me cool.'

[@amanray]

out of tune !

[@christophercochrane4880]

This is some toy shit

[@1vootman]

I hate House Music...but I want his sp-12.

[@danielevenanzi7975]

Anybody here realizes sounds in this track are out of tune? Bass and vocal samples really clash with each other. Maybe even the piano, but I'm not 100% sure

[@Bangulo]

+Daniele Venanzi Yup everything is out of tune the vocal, the keys and just not mixed well, Its a fucken disaster honestly.

[@HotPink90sSun]

👂🤮👂

[@h.j.w2783]

It cracks me up how people have the capabilities of doing exactly what he's doing entirely inside a DAW. It is 10x quicker. Yet people still want to fuck with a sampler that was made in the fucking 80s because it's "cool". Four Tet's new album is a masterpiece and he used Kontakt and Arturia's V Collection. This tit is settling for a machine that doesn't have an undo button just cos he can be like "yaahhh brahhh, I made that track on my E-mu...fuckin raddddddd".

[@akerbaker]

why he's producing with the sophisticated way ? , all you need is midi keyboard and ableton launchpad .

[@MM-yk4lh]

thats when you understand you know nothing about production. A midi keyboard and a launchpad? hahahaha go play toys kid ! let other people buy analog equipment.

[@matthewbutcher2931]

Matias Abelayras The SP-12 isn't analogue though. The only analogue sampler is a tape loop. ;)

[@medwaystudios]

***** All converters are analogue, that's the whole point :) Maybe what you meant was analogue filters which does set it apart from most later samplers.

[@odinmp5]

it amuses me how people with Little or no knowledge of vintage equipment always try to bash it and make fun of people who use it.

[@medwaystudios]

odinmp5 very true.

[@BIGDO13]

lmao... straight desecrating that SP-12..... those drum machines should only be used to make grimy, gutter, 90's style hip-hop beats.... and this man is making like, EDM/house with it....

[@popefrancis4309]

Do your history.

[@nickstar437]

+BIGDO13 nah

[@nobodyneverknows]

+BIGDO13 youre desecrating sp 12 calling sampler a drum machine , second - you cant be more wrong

[@robertcrystals]

lol homies gonna shit when he hears stardust or Alan Braxe Running Intro

[@vf4ruler]

this is awful.

[@supergangsterish1234]

sorry mate, are you a touring dj with multiple EP releases on several labels? guessing not

[@alphabonco]

This is all very normcore.

[@shurikennoprob]

Sampling sucks in my opinion. Making tracks from other peoples recordings is a lame shortcut to lifeless undynamic music. Just my opinion. No samplers in my studio. Its demeaning to all the hardwork and skill i developed ti be a musician and producer. Really

[@cc-hl9yo]

lol

[@DeekonJones]

*sucks own **____*

[@Dan-jg7zl]

I think you are just jealous that people are just more creative than yourself. Sampling was a revolution in the music industry.

[@jjelelelelelwle]

What is the track that comes on at 2.30?

[@dinfluence30]

Ragysh - Todd Terje