I recorded this arpeggio recently that I created using the Roland MKS-80 and the Bitstream 3X MIDI controller. Every once in a while it’s nice to leave the computer out of the equation and this was one of those times. As I have outlined before, the arpeggiator on the BS3X has a distinct collection of features that allow for an interesting mix of possibilities. For this example I put it into the keyboard mode, disabling the built in melodies in favor of using a keyboard to choose the notes.
At the last Ostracon performance I decided to forgo the use of soft synths and attempt to strictly use the Roland MKS-80 as my sole sound source. Because I live loop during these shows I was able to layer a broad variety of tones and, using the Bitstream 3X, manipulate the tones in real-time. Here’s a plucky outro that illustrates this technique.
The Oberheim OB-8 and Roland MKS-80 are two massive vintage polys, each sporting dual oscillator, eight note polyphony provided by sixteen VCOs. There’s a lot of similar functionality between these machines. The switchable two or four pole filter and modulation routing is a little more flexible on the OB-8 but the MKS-80 makes up for it with cross modulation, velocity sensitivity, and after-touch. The technology used in the MKS-80 seems much more advanced even though it was made only one year later than the OB-8. The MKS-80 is a compact rack-mountable device, while the OB-8 is a massive behemoth that currently dominates my studio space. Ultimately comparing these two machines is not really a productive thing to do. They both sound fantastic. The MKS-80 is better for me because my musical style generally requires the expression possible through velocity and after-touch, but the OB-8 is easy and fast to program with lots of luxurious feeling knobs.
I recorded a little freeform jam session with Unearthed Music‘s graphic designer, Ben Montag, experimenting on the OB-8 while I twisted knobs on the Bitstream 3X driving the MKS-80. See if you can identify which sound is coming from which synth.
Finally the GMS meets the Roland MKS-80. During our Ostracon release performance coming up on Friday, June 24, 2011 I plan on using the MKS-80 for the first time in a live setting… vis-à-vis without a keyboard. Here’s a bassline I generated and looped in Ableton with the GMS routed to the MKS-80 controlled by the Bitstream 3X.
