Less than one week ago I added a new instrument to my studio that will soon become the centerpiece of my solo performances and duets with Ostracon. As you can see from the photo, it is a Dave Smith Instruments Tempest Analog Drum Machine. I have been researching the Tempest since it was announced in early 2011, but recently I concluded that it would work well with the current direction of my music and decided to pick one up. This instrument is a one of kind sound sculpting tool that sounds amazing and is capable of so much more than just drums and percussive sounds. For example, as a challenge to learn the synthesis engine, I created this vibes patch exclusively using the two analog oscillators. I played a C minor blues scale over most of the width of a 76 key controller to give you an idea of how it sounds. I like how the envelopes get a little clicky in the low end. No processing was added to this recording, so the levels might be a bit low.

Tempest Analog Vibes